In the recent US Vice Presidential debate, the current US VP, Mike Pence dropped a throwaway line that until nobody has noticed until now. He labeled Israel as America’s “best ally,” or a term meaning the same thing.
I think that from at least 1917 the “best ally” of the US was either Canada or the UK. Under Trump, both of those alliances were downgraded, although they were loyal to us for all that time.
So now we have the supposedly new “best ally” (might be slightly different wording, but it means this), Israel.
Now I am much more for Israel than many on the left and elsewhere. I have long supported the two-state solution set in Oslo in 1992 or thereabouts. But the current admin throws that into a trash can.
On June 8, 1967, Israel sank the USS Liberty, killing 34 American citizens, wounding 171.
Sorry, Israel may be an “ally” of the USA, but this throwaway line that somehow it is US.s “best” or “top” or “leading ally” is just a joke.
For the record, if the current POTUS is not reelected, this fantasy will be undone and we shall return to our long-established relationships. Sorry any fantasists who think otherwise, but Canada is a closer ally of the US than Israel.
Barkley Rosser
Umm . . . I’m guessing Pence was attempting to pander to: 1) those on the right that equate support for Israel with, somehow, constraining Islam; 2) Jews who want to believe Trump/Pence actually give a sh!t about Israel except as a wedge issue; 3) Christian fringe zealots (like Pence) that equate support for Israel with the foreordained path to Armageddon.
Too bad our domestic politics won’t let Israel be just another small country in the Mid East. Israel looks at the East Bank in a similar manner that a certain fellow looked to Poland and Russia. Looked for a map of the East Bank and it did not look like a Two State Solution was possible. That ship sailed decades ago.
I am confused.
I thought Putin was Donnie Fatso’s best ally.
Now, I know you are going to say that Pence said: US’ best ally, but Fat Donnie from Queens believes l’etat se moi.
it was good to have these three perspectives about our allies and yes Friendly Fire does happen to the best of military organizations, but I would posit that over the years from my perspective our dependable allies have being Australia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Pakistan then again who knows what is really going on under the surface. these things need to be sorted out by lot of hard work at the CIA relayed to the politicians in power where the bottom line is recommended to the president who personally makes the final decision. hell somebody has to say,
“the buck stops here”
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Pure conflation.
The US is Israel’s best ally, not the other way round.
We gots the money . . .
Fun thread. Comments all true.