how exactly does Israel stabilize the Middle East and why do we need Israel?

Jar writes: How exactly does Israel stabilize the Middle East?

As the first target of the most radical regimes and radical sub-state actors in the region, Israel has a permanent, existential interest in preventing these regimes and sub-state actors from acquiring the means to cause catastrophic harm.Israel's 1981 airstrike that destroyed Iraq's Osirak nuclear reactor prevented Iraq from acquiring nuclear weapons. Despite US condemnation at the time, the US later acknowledged that the strike was a necessary precondition to the success of Operation Desert Storm ten years later. Richard Cheney - who served as secretary of defense during Operation Desert Storm - has stated that if Iraq had been a nuclear power in 1991, the US would have been hard pressed to eject Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army from Kuwait and so block his regime from asserting control over oil supplies in the Persian Gulf.2 - Israel is a non-expansionist state and its neighbors know it. In its 62 year history, Israel has only controlled territory vital for its national security and territory that was legally allotted to it in the 1922 League of Nations Mandate which has never been abrogated or superseded.Israel's strength, which it has used only in self-defense, is inherently non-threatening. Far from destabilizing the region, a strong Israel stabilizes the Middle East by deterring the most radical actors from attacking.In 1970, Israel blocked Syria's bid to use the PLO to overthrow the Hashemite regime in Jordan. Israel's threat to attack Syria not only saved the Hashemites then, it has deterred Syria from attempting to overthrow the Jordanian regime ever since. Similarly, Israel's neighbors understand that its purported nuclear arsenal is a weapon of national survival and hence they view it as non-threatening. This is the reason Israel's alleged nuclear arsenal has never spurred a regional nuclear arms race.In stark contrast, if Iran acquires nuclear weapons, a regional nuclear arms race will ensue immediately.Although they will never admit it, Israel's non-radical neighbors feel more secure when Israel is strong. On the other hand, the region's most radical regimes and non-state actors will always seek to emasculate Israel.3-- Since as the Jewish state Israel is the regional bogeyman, no Arab state will agree to form a permanent alliance with it. Hence, Israel will never be in a position to join forces with another nation against a third nation.In contrast, the Egyptian-Syrian United Arab Republic of the 1960s was formed to attack Israel. Today, the Syrian-Iranian alliance is an inherently aggressive alliance against Israel and the non-radical Arab states in the region. Recognizing the stabilizing force of a strong Israel, the moderate states of the region prefer for Israel to remain

jar writes:If it is a concern it is simply a matter of ignorance. Historically the Muslims have protected both Jewish and Christian sites in the Middle East as well as the pilgrims. Remember that those sites are also sacred in Islam.

jar writes:Simply not true and also irrelevant. Israel is an expansionist state and is even today building settlements on territory it took by force.Do you ever read what you quote?

nwr writes:The bigger issue is that many evangelical Christians believe in a totally absurd fantasy about a future end of the world, and that fantasy is centered in Jerusalem.

jar writes:In addition, there is a long, long History of the Muslims protecting and guarding the pilgrims that visited the Middle east going back to Saladin.There have been Christian and Jewish sites preserved and even in active use throughout the Middle East, in Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon...Shall I continue?

Huntard writes:No it isn't, it won't happen within your lifetime, nor will it happen in mine, nor will it happen at any time.

onifre writes:To think, your god has 95 billion light years of space, galaxies, solar systems, planets, black holes, etc. to look after, and you claim he's worried about 946.1/sq mi of dirt on a single planet...

onifre writes:Make that 10. They were saying 50 years back in the '70s when I was a member of a fundamentalist church with basically the same eschatology.

jar writes:I assume you can provide support that Jews were not allowed to pray at the Wailing Wall for 19+ centuries or is this just another of your unsupported assertions

onifre writes:Before he was burned alive, a priest asked him if he would accept Jesus and go to heaven. The cheif replied:

jar writes:You do understand that the 1967 WAR was a war of aggression by Israel?

jar writes:One reason mentioned was that we needed a military base. Reality though shows that we are precluded from using Israel as a forward base because US troops there would destabilize the region.A second and unfortunately even more plausible reason is to draw attention away from the US, for Israel to become the focus of hatred instead of the US.The third reason suggested is that the existence of Israel is somehow a requirement to hurry along Armageddon. Not sure why that would be something we need but look forward to seeing that explained.Neither of those seems to be very honorable so the question remains. Are they the only reasons we need Israel?