It is not a happy time for American-Israeli relations. Joe Biden's recent visit to the country went up in flames after the ill-timed announcement of another round of settlement construction in Jerusalem. I think it's time to reevaluate our alliance with this country, which is less of an alliance than a joining at the hip.
Why, precisely, does the United States need Israel? I understand that the Jewish people need a home, but they've got it. It's a done deal. With most of our allies, disagreements are allowed, even expected - with France, for example, most of the time we don't agree on a thing. Yet when it comes to Israel, you would think disagreement is treason.
If Israel were in trouble, I might be concerned for its safety - but it isn't. It has the best military in the Near East, plus an arsenal of a few hundred nuclear weapons. Perhaps the Lebanon war didn't go so well, but war in Gaza was a smashing success. The Jewish state is hardly in mortal danger.
I'm also puzzled by the $3 billion in aid we give to Israel every year. Why does a prosperous country need this kind of assistance? What do we have to show for it? And why don't they have any manners?
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