Chris12 wrote: Why strengten the ties with Isreall when they have shown to have zero respect for America's opinion in the conflict which they have shown this week(i'm talking about the building on the west bank) To me it seems like they are trying to avoid peace talks
I'd like to thrown in my two bits on this one, if ya'll don't mind.
One of the interesting and controversial things about the state of Israel is that, in general, they don't consult with other nations when it comes to military matters. I'd say that the Israeli Government, in general, doesn't give a damn about international opinion. They do what they feel they need to in order to make sure their nation survives. Which I respect. (Sorry Nuclearo: If you read this I hope you didn't take offense, I meant none.)
Now as far as the U.S is concerned, Chris you're right that in actuality they really don't have much reason to still support the nation of Israel. Both in political terms and in the fact that Israel seems to be doing a pretty good job standing on its own two feet. However, I think the reason the U.S is still actively supporting them is simply a matter of standing by old commitments. The United States was one of the loudest supporters of Zionism throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It was a matter raised by President Woodrow Wilson at the Versailles conference of 1919. They pledged to support the nation of Israel when it was created in 1948 and apparently feels the need to stick by it to this day.
Also, I think its worth bearing in mind that the United States is still one of the largest Christian nations on earth. Or more specifically, one of the largest protestant nations on earth. On the whole the protestant church has a vested interest in the success of the Jewish state and has supported it. The southern evangelicals and the Mormons especially. It's only been in recent years that public opinion has turned against Israel, though of course there has always been some opposition. But considering the U.S has (As far as I'm aware) an unbroken tradition of Christian presidents and mostly Christian administrations, I can't see the U.S dropping their support for Israel any time soon.
There's a permanent tension in music isn't there? On one hand you have three chords, you know, four four and three chords. Then there's the people like me, who say "Well, why don't we add a fourth chord and put it in five four?" - Bill Bruford