The United States and Israel alliance is a tremendous benefit to both countries. Whether the connection is in homeland security, democracy or defense, the relationship between the two nations is vital. The U.S.-Israel relationship is a strategic asset for either country and benefits each in a variety of ways. Conversely, breaking this relationship would be morally inexcusable and strategically catastrophic for the United States.
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Israel’s strategic objective is to maintain its safety in a region surrounded by other entities that attempt to disturb that safety. On the contrary, America’s strategic objective is to maintain a prosperous economy and continue to be a powerful political entity. The U.S.-Israel relationship allows both countries to achieve these initiatives, as the U.S. provides Israel with a backbone in a strong ally, while Israel cooperates in free trade with the U.S. and helps to stimulate our economy.
The U.S. and Israel face common military threats. The common enemy is radical Islam — namely, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and many other factions. These entities embody radicalism and violate human rights on a regular basis. They aim to destroy modernization and disturb progressive and civil negotiations of peace.
They do not want peace.
The U.S. cannot tolerate a nuclear Iran. If it were to happen, the most destructive weapon built would fall into the lap of an already unstable territory and that would be disastrous. This is a risk neither America nor Israel can compromise with, and so allying with each other improves both countries’ objective of security. We saw how devastating religious fanaticism can be in Sept. 2001.
In addition, the two countries share common values in democracy, human rights, freedom of speech and freedom of press. These are values that some in America may take for granted, but areas surrounding Israel like Iran, Syria and Afghanistan work to deny their people these rights. Israel must serve as the bastion of freedom and human rights in the Middle East, and that requires the support of the United States. Of course, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad famously said “We do not have gay people in our country.” We cannot stand idly by against ignorant human rights violators.
Israel provides America with stability. Seeing that Israel is in between three continents — Europe, Asia and Africa, it provides the U.S. with a set of eyes on the other side of Earth. America is the most powerful country on earth, but every nation — no matter how strong — still needs a steady ally.
Maybe the most vital aspect of the deep-rooted relationship between the U.S. and Israel is the cooperation in defense. Not only do the countries share magnitudes of intelligence and technology, but history has shown that what begins in Israel usually transpires to America. For example, suicide bombings had occurred in Israel for years before 9/11 occurred in America.
When it comes to homeland security, Israel outmatches any other country. With border security, security against biological terrorism and airport security, Israel has proven beyond effective at protecting its citizens. How America can learn from these techniques is a tremendous asset to America, who shares the same terrorist enemies.
Around the world, several bodies of detractors seek to delegitimize or demonize supporters of this profound relationship. This should only encourage the supporters to make the relationship stronger and deeper. Winston Churchill described democracy as “the worst government besides all of the other ones.” America and Israel must continue to support and ally together so that they can continue their beacon of democracy, justice, human rights and freedom.
Jeremy Ely is a fourth-year UCSB undergrad.
Winston Churchill also said this: Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill On Islam “How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries! Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity. The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman… Read more »
I am sorry to see such a comment. What is Islam got to do with this article at all?
very ridiculous article. neither the U.S. nor Israel are supporters of democracy, freedom, or human rights. duh!
But Hamas and Hezbollah are the poster children, right?
Not at all. I support the rights of Palestinian people to live with dignity. I also support the rights of Lebanese people to live with dignity. Hamas and Hezbollah are entities that have come to existence as a result of the fact that they are not ALLOWED that dignity. Because of their own governments and their oh-so-friendly neighbor, the Israeli gov’t, a gov’t that likes to, you know, every now and then, invade and massacre the brown people.
Yeah, that’s exactly what happened…if you take out the part where there was originally to be a two state solution with the Muslim peoples (who were not yet called Palestinians) getting most of what it today Jordon as well as shared control of Jerusalem. It’s also completely true if you take out the part where the Muslim people, many of whom had willingly sold their land to Zionists (who purchased at well above market price and then made them farmable), decided not to take the two state solution but instead launch a massive military attack with the express intention of… Read more »
Herzl himself called them Palestinians. But anyway-call them what you want. Names mean little. And, by the way, the Palestinians are not JUST Muslims. There are Palestinian Christians, too, and they are just as dedicated to this cause. What percentage of the Palestinians sold their land? Please. In the suggested 2-state proposal, 56% of the land would have gone to the European immigrants. They only made up 1/3 of the population. Is this supposed to be fair? Of course they rejected it; I would have, too. Israel is worse than the surrounding states? Maybe this is news to you, but… Read more »
This article is really, really poorly written. I agree with some of the core ideas, but plethora of redundancies, not to mention the 9/11 fear-baiting (methinks it’s time we came up with a 9/11 corollary for “Goldwyn’s law”) kills it.
It’s nice to see a story in the college paper about Israel that doesn’t amount to “The big bad Jews — who probably control the media and other industries — are murdering pure, innocent, inherently good Palestinian babies. Aren’t they just like Nazis? lolwut?!” But this is not the article for which I would have hoped.
What a waste of space. I am Jewish, and have nothing but contempt for Islamic fundamentalism, but the alliance with Israel is absolutely not in America’s interest. It was born of Cold War convenience, and is currently maintained by an “Israel Lobby” in Washington which enjoys unparalleled influence over foreign policy. I fail to see why America, which was founded on secular principles, should stick out its neck to aid a group of Messianic settlers in their quest to fulfill a biblical prophecy. America has a responsibility to say no to all forms of religious extremism, and all forms of… Read more »
Actually, it’s the Evangelical Christians who have the Biblical prophecy. The Israeli lobby certainly carries much influence in the US government. One could easily argue they carry undue influence. However, Israel was born more out of a big “Screw You” from Truman than it was out of Cold War convenience, though of course it was that too. Today, Israel serves several functions for the USA. It is a fiercely loyal ally that will do pretty much anything the US requests. It is a sentient early response missile shield (anyone who wants the US gone really, REALLY wants Israel out of… Read more »
And then there is the blood debt. During WWII the entire world proved, not in theory but in practice that there was no safe haven for Jews. None. Anywhere in the world. Germany sent out boatloads of Jews to pretty much every first world nation on the planet and every single one turned them away, understanding, at least implicitly, that the Jews they denied asylum were facing extermination. The Australian government spokesperson said it most simply and most eloquently, “We do not now have nor do we wish to import a Jewish problem.” The whole world sat by. The whole… Read more »
As far as the Holocaust and Israel are concerned, the two are almost entirely unrelated. 20-25 million Russians died during World War II repelling Nazism, but no one outside of Stalin took this as reasonable justification for the 50 year Russian occupation of Eastern Europe. Tens of millions of Chinese died during the Japanese invasion of their country, but no reasonable person thinks this excuses the Chinese government for its atrocious human rights record. The Holocaust was unique among the crimes perpetrated, but World War II was hardly a picnic for anyone…well, besides the Swiss that is. Zionism far predated… Read more »
I sincerely doubt that you fail to understand the difference between genocide and casualties of war. Conflating the two, while underhandedly comparing Israel it Stalin, Chairman Mao, and WWII-era Japan is grotesque rhetoric. I don’t think I really understand your point about Zionism as 19th Century colonialism. Can you please elaborate? Of course Zionism predates WWII. Part of the reason that Israel became Israel is because 10-20k Jews a year were flooding into the region from the 1880s (if I recall correctly), pooling their money and buying up land for years and years. The initial strife between the two groups… Read more »
If your point is that the Holocaust was awful, and that the world did shamefully little to prevent it, then you have a fair one. But that’s not the issue in question. The burden of proof is on you to demonstrate why the Arab population of Palestine should pay for the misdeeds of others. Just because something bad happened in the world, that doesn’t make every single inhabitant of the world responsible for it. Why Palestine? The retribution is unjust, because the new victim was not the old perpetrator. How could you reasonably expect Palestinians to cede their land with… Read more »
It won’t let me reply to your last post, so I guess I’ll do it up here. Actually, I was responding to your assertion that no one in the world owed a blood debt over the Holocaust. I was just pointing out that basically everyone in the world knew, and no one in the world cared (other than the Dominican Republic, apparently.) America cared so little that it covered up documents that would have shown that we weren’t even meeting our immigration quotas! We had space! We covered it up because…well…as with every other nation in the world, we didn’t… Read more »
I’m glad to hear that you have objections to the policies of the Israeli government. Let me address each point. “It was a convenient place to dump them.” Really? That’s easy for you to say. It’s also easy for a Western European power to say, but just as they had no right to exterminate Jews, they also had no right to “dump” them anywhere. Personally, I think that the French Riviera would have been far more convenient, but well, that didn’t quite work out. Also, the vast majority of Israeli settlers were not Holocaust survivors. “It wasn’t that the Israelis… Read more »
Okay, we’re having a fundamental disconnect here. I keep bringing up specific and quantifiable portions of history: the Evian Conference, Kristallnacht, Nazi Party platform, Mein Kampf, the methods with which Zionist purchased lands, the Nuremberg Laws, The Australian representatives quote, specifics of the original 2 state solution, the biblical history of the riff between Jews and Muslims. And yet you refuse to speak in anything other than generalities. This frustrates me. You’re clearly not stupid, and I enjoy a good spirited debate more than I like talking with someone who thinks exactly as I do, but please try and back… Read more »
Expansionary Policy?
Israel has won land in defensive wars! That’s how every boarder in the world has come to be! None of their expansions were from wars that could logically be considered “their fault.” Unless, you know, being Jewish is a fault.
You live in California. The land you live on was won in wars. My girlfriend is half Mexican and half Native American. Can we have your house? I mean, if you’re consistent in your dislike of “expansionary policies.”
A few crucial distinctions. 1) Israel continues to expand via settlements in the West Bank. America hasn’t expanded territorially in 150 years. 2) My presence here does not prevent your girlfriend from also living here. Nor does it it deny her the water and land necesary to sustain herself. 3) You girlfriend has freedom of movement, and freedom of speech. 4) The people who displaced your girlfriend’s ancestors came from all over the world, rather than from a specific ethnic group. 5) Your girlfriend is not subject to bulldozers that seek to demolish her house, or to military excursions that… Read more »
what an amazing piece. very well said. america might be israel’s only friend at times, but israel in return is america’s best friend. our good relationship with israel gives us an ambassador in the middle east, helping democracy and benefiting us financially. the brutal blows israel takes from arab countries and organizations would other wise be aimed at us, as the leaders of these organizations proudly declare. imagine a world in which radical islam has managed to destroy israel. where would that put us? with a huge, rich, united muslim region, no democracy at site and their missiles and suicide… Read more »