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

I can't disagree there. But nuclear weapons in Israel do pose a menacing threat and would raise a question of whether to fuck with Israel because of it.I didn't say it wasn't a false or illusional stability, but that's what their after, really...- Oni

Still not sure how that adds stability. Are you saying the the purpose of Israel is to act as a tripwire for US actions?

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

If you mean stability for the people of the Middle East, no. But I wasn't refering to that type of stability.I meant stability in the eyes of the US. Israel, and our influence military/weapon armament, provides us with a sense of stability for that area. Worse for us would be not having any strong hold in there at all. We would consider that un-stable territory. In the same way as Blackwater helps us. We can shift blame to someone else who isn't held to the same standards and isn't as influencial as the US. If Blackwater opens fire on suspected terrorist and injures civilians it's not as bad (for PR purposes) as if our troops do it.Likewise Israel can and has done the same for us as Blackwater.- Oni

But in this case, it would be the same as saying black people tango'd with police during the civil rights movement. It took two to tango in their case too, but you can see how one side didn't really want to dance.Israel (and the parties that aided) occupied land that they had no rights to. That is a very strong case for resisting on the part of the Palestinians don't you think? So everything that has occured since that day (occupation) is in regards to the initial invasion/occupation by force.- Oni

Please folk. This thread was meant to give Buz and others a chance to explain how exactly Israel stabilizes the Middle East and why we need Israel? Edited by jar, : missed two words, added "a chance"

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Just to clear any misunderstandings, do you mean how it stabilizes the Middle East in the eyes of Middle Easterners or in the eyes of the US?Because I am totally opposed to Israel as a country and to their occupation, however, as a former military guy I can see how having that much armament in Israel stabilizes the Middle East in our PoV.I won't post further till we hear from Buz and the others that you'd like to participate.- Oni

The only thing that Israel seems to stabilize is the ire of the surrounding Muslim nations. The whole situation reminds me of the work that has been done on the leaning tower of Pisa. No matter what they do, be it adding counter weights or strengthening the masonry, it does nothing to fix the obvious. The damn tower is still leaning.Why do we need Israel? It didn't start out as a need, but more of a promise. The formation of Israel was seen as a reparation for the Holocaust in many ways. The thought was nice, but the ensuing implementation was short sighted. In many ways America needs a strong Israel to save face, and American support for Israel is a hot-button election topic. If you are seen as weak on Israel you lose votes. I am starting to view the whole thing as a beast of its own making.It is claimed that Israel is a strong ally in the region, but does America really need an ally? Even more, Turkey would be a much better ally and I really think they would be willing to act as our emissary to the area. If the area is ever going to stabilize it needs a muslim face on it, not a Jewish face with christian weapons to back it up.

All great points and it will be interesting to see what they say.

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

It does keep the middle east in a steady state of hostilities.I guess that's consistent with one meaning of "stabilize".

I think that a secular humanist solution may be better than allowing any one religion to predominate.

What does that have to do with the topic?How exactly does Israel stabilize the Middle East and why do we need Israel?

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

Take a look at the relative accomplishments in science among the Middle Eastern countries.Israel is in the 21st century and at the forefront of scientific knowledge, while many of the surrounding countries are trying their best to revert back to the Middle Ages. Many of those countries turned their backs on an era of major scientific accomplishment some 600-700 years ago, and embraced fundamentalism instead.Poverty and religious fundamentalism together are certainly destabilizing.

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Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

But how does Israel stabilize the region? Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon all support science and education. So does Iran. What makes you think they turned their back on scientific knowledge?Much of the poverty in the Middle East is by design and controlled by Israel. After all it is Israel that limits the power, water, jobs, materials, investments in much of Palestine.If poverty and fundamentalism are a problem, how does the existence of Israel moderate either factor?Edited by jar, : hit wrong key

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Anyone so limited that they can only spell a word one way is severely handicapped!

An example from today's news: Routine Blood Tests Could Replace Colonoscopy (IsraelNationalNews.com)

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Religious belief does not constitute scientific evidence, nor does it convey scientific knowledge.

If not wanting to dance is blowing up busses with civilians, then I don;t know what is. True. Perhaps, but there are many ways of resistance. I still say blowing up busses with civilians in them isn't a productive way of reaching an understanding. {ABE}: I will shut up now, as this has nothing to do with the topic. Edited by Huntard, : Added {ABE} bit