[Lee'sGhost]

"No - We are hated because we are infidels and are not muslims."

I would add that we, Americans, are especially hated because we are the only thing that prevents the Muslim world from destroying Israel. These whackjobs would even take Israeli nukes if they thought they would win in the end.

It's really that simple. We could give up oil, convert to Islam, and totally withdraw our influence around the world where it interferes with Muslim countries -- but if we still defended Israel they would hate us with all their being.

[Steel Wolf]

I would add that we, Americans, are especially hated because we are the only thing that prevents the Muslim world from destroying Israel.

Israel is not really that big a deal to the Middle Easterners, except for one important thing. They don't care about the plight of the Palestinians, and treat them like crap at every turn.

Israel a scapegoat, a rare topic in a world of taboos that they are allowed to openly hate. Arabs are powerless in the face of their own governments, but the shame and rage they feel is allowed to be expressed at Israel. Most Arabs have never been to Israel, and it doesn't affect their daily lives one whit, whether it was run by Jews, Buddhists, or Satan worshippers. They'd never know one way or another, and wouldn't care. They come up with a lot of reasons why they hate Israel (and, by extention, the West), but it all boils down to the fact that they're not allowed to hate anything else.