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Defending allies only when they are "right" is a recipe for disaster.

But not I think as great a disaster as defending them when they are wrong. When a country is right, we ought to defend it whether it is an ally or not. And when it is wrong, we shouldn't blindly defend it and make the matter worse for ourselves and the ally too.

Alliances are about mutual interests; if they can be tossed aside at a whim, they are meaningless.

Alliances are about mutual interests. And when alliences move in different directions they ought to be rethought.

Actually, this entire argument is a prime example of why alliances must be built of sturdier stuff. You think Israel is "in the wrong." I think she is "in the right." The Israelis clearly feel they are right. The Palestinians clearly feel Israel are wrong. And you and i could sit here all night and argue about it and still reach no resolution.

But in the end, we are her ally. This is not a time to abandon her. To do so would bring us shame and infamy for decades, and as a result it would do far more to harm our national interest than the policy we are pursuing today.

I should add that alliance does not mean unconditional support. Sometimes it means public defense but private dressing down. And if Israel were to do something truly outrageous--an attempt at a transfer, for instance--we would obviously not support it. Nor would we draw arms against her. Surely you see the reason in this?