Posted on 10/07/2001 7:02:07 AM PDT by veronica
Newsweek poll: 61% of Americans oppose cut in Israel ties
By Ha'aretz Service
A poll of 1,000 American adults conducted by Newsweek magazine revealed that most Americans are against a reduction in ties between Israel and the United States. Sixty-one percent of those polled disagreed with the statement that the U.S. should reduce its ties with Israel.
Similarly, 63 percent said a move away from Israel would not bring about a reduction in terrorism. Just 22 percent said that the U.S. should reduce its links to Israel.
According to the poll, Americans do, however, view their nation's Middle East policies as one of the major causes of terrorist attacks on U.S. targets. Fifty-eight percent of those polled said that America's relationship with Israel was a large contributing factor in the attacks on the United States on September 11.
Forty-seven percent said the terrorists carried out the attack because of their opposition to the Gulf War and U.S. military presence in the Persian Gulf.
When asked whether the Unites States should consider changing its policies in the Middle East to try to reduce anti-American sentiment, 46 percent of those taking part in the poll said that change should be considered.
The poll also revealed that President George W. Bush's approval rating has stayed at 84 percent - almost identical to the rating he received in the last Newsweek Poll one week ago. Eighty-eight percent of Americans said that they approved of his handling of the terrorist attacks.
Israel would defend itself even if all US aid were cut off.
Israel only gets 3 billions per year while $50 billion is spent by us on Gulf security and security for Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. We have troops stationed in those two nations. Bin Ladin wants the US out and so does Saddam Hussein
| source link Holding The Bag In the Gulf The New York Times, September 18, 1996 By Lawrence J. Korb, After the gulf war, the Navy created the Fifth Fleet, stationed permanently in the gulf. It consists of 21 ships manned by 15,000 sailors and marines, along with 12 more ships with equipment for ground forces and about 250 planes to protect the fleet and enforce the no-flight zones over Iraq. In addition, there are 10,000 people on the ground in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, along with enough equipment for another Army brigade. On various occasions since the gulf war, including this month, the United States has augmented this standing force by sending a second aircraft carrier, a squadron of stealth fighters and additional air defense groups and bombers. According to Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution, the total cost of maintaining the United States force in the gulf is at least $50 billion per year. The purpose of spending all this money is to insure that neither Iran nor Iraq threatens the oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. But the United States currently imports only about 10 percent of it's oil from the Persian Gulf — some $10 billion to $15 billion worth, depending upon world prices. |
... the total cost of maintaining the United States force in the gulf is at least $50 billion per year.We must take the damn oil fields and hold them as territories. Otherwise we will have continuing bloddshed and massive expenses, and our parties will be the political playthings of a small group of elite made too rich too quick, who had not to work for their massive wealth.The purpose of spending all this money is to insure that neither Iran nor Iraq threatens the oil fields of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. But the United States currently imports only about 10 percent of it's oil from the Persian Gulf — some $10 billion to $15 billion worth, depending upon world prices.
BTW, the 50 billion or so spent on military resources in the Gulf would cost that if they were tied up in San Diego. To compare that amount to the foreign aid given Israel is simply a false comparison, as you know. Aid to Israel in direct grants and forgiven "loans" alone now totals $91 billion. Adding the other goodies and interest would double this (as it does your house payment). That's not trivial, even for the US. It's past time to let Israel fight its own wars.
Have you wonderwd why no country has spoken up urging the inclusion of Israel in the coalition? The reason is that Israel does not have a single friend except the US--not one. It used to count South Africa as a friend but that pretty well ended with apartheid.
US forces are protecting the stability of the world oil markets. (One might argue that it is in Israel's interests to have the US forces there, insuring that no one Muslim nation becomes too powerful, so what are you complaining about?)
Oil price stability just so happens to be in the direct interest of the US, and the rest of the world for that matter. The world economy is very sensitive to pricing pressures, and the cost of transportation is one of the major ones. Want to screw the US economy? Start a big conflict in the ME, so that oil prices are up to $50/barrel for a few years.
The key word in your statement is "Americans". I consider an American to be someone with absolutely undivided loyalty.
"Interested in seeing Israel prosper and do well in the face of Arab intimidation and possible war. I don't worry so much about Americans since life is a bit too comfortable here. Too much comfort leads to decline in spiritual vision and lack of prayers to G_d, respect for G_d and fear of G_d. Am not a libertarian but am sort of Paleo-conservative despite being Jewish."
So you are a nice Jewish boy, dedicated to Israel, but unconcerned about America. You may be surprized to know that I have no problem with that. What does bother me is that you are not making aliyah. Anyone who decorates their homepage with an Israeli flag and brags about your dedication to Israel should put their life where there mouth is (Yes, I have done so--but for America, not Israel.
Most all congresscritters have only tiny Jewish communities in their districts - so the Jewish vote cannot vote them out. Their districts instead have much-larger other groups of politically-energetic groups: NRA, right-to-lifers, etc.
Essentially this means that Israel depends on meaning something jobwise to congressional districts - and few even have much dependance on that.
As a Jew, I'm willing to say it. Combine reflexive bloc liberal voting with nearly zero clout in most all congressional districts - and Israel can lose clout in Congress very fast the moment alliance with it costs "too much."
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