Why do we need Israel?

[Elok]

Oil? It is depletable, used as a political tool, and soon enough the world will move to alternative energies.

Well, we need something to put in our cars right now. What does Israel have a lot of that we can burn?

ovens

Hmm...it's worth considering. How oily is your average Jew?

[Zevico]

The resolution of this ideological struggle can only be resolved by the replacement of the Arab regimes with pro-American, preferable democratic ones

These are diametrically opposed goals.

Edit--response to come. Previous response not good.

[Thoth]

after a few beers, I'd tit**** the hell out of those

Motorboating FTW!

(but I'd need more than a few beers for that one)

[Drake Tungsten]

Honestly, I think I would rank your alliances worth in the following fashion

1) Canada, UK, Australia (UKUSA?)
2) South Korea, Japan,
3) Israel, ...Germany?
4) SA, Qatar

1. UK
2. Australia
3. Canada

Those are the only U.S. alliances that offer more benefit than cost, IMO.

[KrazyHorse]

Commercially it is an important source of science and technology. It has the 2nd highest concentration of technology firms outside sillicon valley

This is an example of the classic sloppy top-down economic thinking many people employ. Number of companies is a ridiculous metric, as are number of patents, number of university graduates etc. etc. etc.

Even the Technion would only be considered a middle 2nd tier university in the US.

You guys simply aren't very important when it comes to science and tech. Claiming otherwise is simply laughable. American Jews are by FAR more productive than Jews in Israel. The founding of Israel was a tragedy for the world, not because of the ensuing ME conflict, but because it took so many potential high achievers and shoved them together into a country which is barely part of the first world.

Israeli Jews
High-performing non-Israeli Jews

[Traianvs]

The resolution of this ideological struggle can only be resolved by the replacement of the Arab regimes with pro-American, preferable democratic ones

With the exceptions of Syria, Iran (and previously Lybia), and not counting silly countries like Yemen or Sudan, leaders in the ME and North-Africa as well as the Turks sure like to do business with the US.

By the way, I'm sure that they'd like democracy if they could actually choose their own leaders, instead of having to put up with pro-western figureheads who sell-out the country. I'm guessing that's why there is and was such vicious resistance against American presence as the US kept lingering in Iraq.

[Kitschum]

1. UK
2. Australia
3. Canada

Those are the only U.S. alliances that offer more benefit than cost, IMO.

Kyrgyzstan should be up there too

[Drake Tungsten]

You forgot Poland.

[Kitschum]

I wish.

[Provost Harrison]

On a serious note - Israel is a much more stable, predictable ally than any other option in this area.

It has similar minded people and culture. It gives you various scientific benefits in fields raging from defense issues to high-tech science. You enjoy it more due to our very good public relations and trust between our peoples.

Turkey is also a very useful ally, and *should* be stable, but you never know what could happen there sometimes...

[Sirotnikov]

Commercially it is an important source of science and technology. It has the 2nd highest concentration of technology firms outside sillicon valley

This is an example of the classic sloppy top-down economic thinking many people employ. Number of companies is a ridiculous metric, as are number of patents, number of university graduates etc. etc. etc.

it certainly isn't good enough to make specific comparisons, but can give a general sense of where a country stands.

Even the Technion would only be considered a middle 2nd tier university in the US.

probably so, but it was included IIRC in the top 20-30 technical universities world wide.

You guys simply aren't very important when it comes to science and tech.

If you measure critical importance - obviously Israel's demise will not make a dent in the tech and scientific world. In such case 'importance' is a word I can not stand behind, and I would opt for 'contribution' instead.

Israeli made inventions stand behind more popular technologies and consumer products than you realize. Israeli companies usually sell their patent technologies to large US companies, which is why you wouldn't know that a recent Intel, Microsoft or Toshiba product relies on technology engineered here.

American Jews are by FAR more productive than Jews in Israel. The founding of Israel was a tragedy for the world, not because of the ensuing ME conflict, but because it took so many potential high achievers and shoved them together into a country which is barely part of the first world.

That is certainly possible.

Infact, Israelis that leave Israel and work in the USA / Canada are probably more productive there too.

There's no doubt that Israel offers less potential for advancement and less economical opportunities than larger richer countries, with better business atmosphere. Israel is simply too small and weak for it.

[Zevico]

Israel gave the world Topol. Fiddler on the Roof, people. Can you imagine that guy without it? Seriously.

[RGBVideo]

I ask this from a purely Machiavellian-practical point of view: what does the U.S. gain from having Israel as an ally?

purely Machiavellian? nothing

The Euros are far more likely to engage in another arms race and destroy themselves in another great war before they ever unite to build a military that could threaten the U.S.

continental Europe? not true. anti-[other EU country] nationalism has been pretty dead for the past 20 years or so

[Kidlicious]

The Christian Fundamentalists have to maintain the State of Isreal so that it can be destroyed by fire and brimstone by Russia like it predicts in the Book of Revalations.

[Heresson]

Why leave to Russians what USA can do itself?