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To: traditionalist
Egypt and Jordan both have friendly relations with Israel. Jordan and Israel even have a mutual defense treaty. Israel's relations with the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia are cordial at worst. This notion that all Arab states can't tolerate Israel is simply false. The only ones hostile to Israel are Syria, Iraq, and Libya.

You are so wrong. Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel to get back the sinai, which they could get back no other way. They stay semi non-beligerent because of the $2 billion dollars a year the US pays them to be nice. Jordan is a special situation, the internal threat of a palistinian take over of Jordan, means the king can't afford an external threat, and has had to walk a tight rope. You mention Syria, Iraq, and Libya as hostile to Israel but fail to mention Iran. And if Saudi Arabia is so cordial how come it has never recognized Israel's right to exsist, that was what the crown prince offered for an Israeli withdraw at the arab summit.

62 posted on 04/06/2002 4:50:20 AM PST by Eagle74
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To: Eagle74
You are so wrong. Egypt signed a peace treaty with Israel to get back the sinai, which they could get back no other way. They stay semi non-beligerent because of the $2 billion dollars a year the US pays them to be nice.

It's not 1979 anymore. Egypt, up until a few weeks ago, has had very friendly relations with Israel. They have even participated in joint military exercises for crying out loud. Yes, the US aid does help keep them nice as you put it, but the fact remains that relations between Israel and Egypt up until a few weeks ago were very good.

Jordan is a special situation, the internal threat of a palistinian take over of Jordan, means the king can't afford an external threat, and has had to walk a tight rope.

Whatever. The fact remains Jordan has, up until a couple weeks ago, been very friendly with Israel.

You mention Syria, Iraq, and Libya as hostile to Israel but fail to mention Iran.

Iran is not Arab.

And if Saudi Arabia is so cordial how come it has never recognized Israel's right to exsist, that was what the crown prince offered for an Israeli withdraw at the arab summit.

Saudi Arabia is not friendly to Israel, but they are not hostile either. They trade with Israel. They have diplomatic contact. I'm not sure, but I believe they even have an embassy in Israel. I'll have to check this.

Anyway, much of this is beside the point. If you are an American, Arab relations with Israel are of secondary importance. Of primary importance is Arab relations with the U.S. The fact is that Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, and Kuwait have had friendly relations with us and have cooperated with us many times in the past. We need them to work with us to fight this war on terror.

The Saudis have been less cooperative, but they have also been helpful. They froze accounts of people suspected of giving money to Al Qaeda, for example. The fact that their government is Islamic fundamentalist does not help things, but they have as big an interest as we do in seeing Al Qaeda destroyed. Remember, one of Bin Laden's goals is to bring down the Saudi Monarchy, and you can rest assured that whatever replaces the Saudi Monarchy, if it goes down, will not be a secular, pro-US democracy.

67 posted on 04/06/2002 12:46:00 PM PST by traditionalist
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