How does this make you feel? What do you think?

Show all answers

Urooj

There is nothing strange in it, this is why they have foreign policy institutes and foreign ministry. And objective is to get hold of the region which is very vital in survival of USA as a super power. Both Israel and KSA or rather these governments are allies of USA. There is something known as legitimacy, both governments lack this, they are not of the people, by the people, for the people, and they lack legitimacy and support from people, hence they are forced to look outside and rely on another power to fill the gap.
This perhaps is a reason of the current situation in Middle East.

NYC Chutzpah

The Saudi royal family and the Bush "royal" family have been very good friends to each other. The rich are different than you and I. The rich take care of each other and have little concern for the rest of us. It would be a nicer world if ALL governments would work to make the "little peoples" lives more comfortable. It would be nice to have open communications, open trade, respect for our differences, equal rights for all, free movement between countries.. Ah it is nice to dream. Meanwhile I have to get back to work.

z k

You are right about the US, they are after their own interests and will sell Israel out if the price is right. Most Israelis understand that (I think)
I wish that Israeli politicians addressed these things loudly in the UN. They prefer to keep their tails between their legs. It isn't the America, it is Israeli officials who aren't addressing the issue. They are avoiding conflicts and it is a wrong strategy.
In my humble opinion.

edward_church2000

The worse thing I hated was when some one was so posed to be your best friend but of it all they just used you to get what they wanted off ya, every one wants money if your posed to be a Allie of the United States they are just more interested being then your friend it is what you have they want.

Israel will always be there friend from it all cause it is the only Democratic state it is there in the middle east

rou2a

as an egyptian
i wanna tell u that the usa is not trying to help any one but itself
u r surprised that the usa help ksa
i think thats normal because of oil
and ksa is doing this (dont allow u to enter ksa) because israel is killing palastinian people
soo thats normal too
if arabs and israelians are cousins
arabs are brothers
soo dont blame a brother defends his brother

Rebecca

How does it make me feel? What do I think?

I think that any country has the absolute right to decide who it will have diplomatic relations and with whom it has trade. The U.S. has no business telling other sovereign nations how to run their business. The KSA is completely within it's right as a sovereign nation to decline having trade with anyone that they want.

The U.S.A. is giving weapons away to Israel - at taxpayers expense. What does Israel do with those weapons? They bomb cities in Lebanon, and make Palestinians live in a war zone for more than two generations.

MikeInRI

Saudi Arabia gets US aid for one reason and one reason alone - its called oil. If the oil ever dries up in the region or the US actually finds a reliable alternative source for energy consumption. - US support of the royal family will come to a crashing halt.

Good Luck!!!

Janice

I am American and fully support Israel. I am against how my government pretends to be friends with Israel and at the same time encourages Israel to do things that are not good for them,ie. giving up Israeli land.

Michael J

The US is not allying itself with Israel as a pure act of goodwill. The USA is a country just like any other country, and still puts its own needs first. I'm resigned to the fact that international politics is ruled by selfishness and exploitation rather than morals and ethics, but I still think it's inappropriate for the USA to do business with a country whose laws are so counter to the US's belief in equality and human rights. America should refuse business on the grounds of blatant anti-semitism with no connection to its ally Israel. I know that the USA once used Israel as a proxy in the Cold War and currently uses Israel as a proxy in the war on terror. However, with all that being said, America has done more than is strictly neccessary to keep Israel as an ally, and has been the most consistantly supportive country in the world. The US-Israel relationship is a symbiotic relationship of similar goaled countries, which is why they sync so well. I don't mind so much the weapons provided to the KSA as they do not really strike me as a country bent on Israel's destruction. With Saudi Arabia I'm not so sure.

diana

well I'm not surprised to tell you the truth! it is all about the money, isn't it?
but like hopeless said "1 guaranteed ally is Israel. "

well hopeless: WW3??? so, it's our fault that they hate us and bomb us and want to destroy us. and if we fight back and we have US for support it's ww3???

paperback writer

I think the majority of diaspora Jews and Israelis, if not all of them, realise that America helps Israel partly because it suits the USA to have a staunch and democratic ally in the Middle East.

So I don't feel that surprised when America does deals with countries that discriminate against Jews. Obviously, I would think more highly of the American government if they didn't do deals with countries that were anti Israel and anti democracy.

That said, I think such a lot goes on behind the scene, that none of us 'ordinary' people can ever fully appreciate.

Ask me

I totally agree with you

ANJUM S

After the fall of USSR, USA has been trying to control the world single handedly. For USA, it least matters if he gets help or safe haven from a muslim, jew, christian or anyone. USA all wants is that he safe anywhere. But why this fear? because USA knows very well that it has enemies everywhere due to its policies and blunders.

HopelessZ00

Yes H, rather ironic that USA sends weapons and aid to Israel, yet makes billions in weapon production in KSA. Carlye Group. But H, I would think that USA is an ally of all the middle east but for 2 countries, Syria and Iran, But yet 1 guaranteed ally is Israel. The others can turn against them. Peace!

Yes Diana, but what if all the others turn against them? And yet still have the weapons that America helped them make?
Do you think America and Israel together can conquer all the ME? Now we're getting into World War 3.

edit: at Michael J. you say: "I don't mind so much the weapons provided to the KSA as they do not really strike me as a country bent on Israel's destruction. With Saudi Arabia I'm not so sure." Just to let you know, KSA = Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. They are the same thing!

Ultra N

It's oil.... we Americans know that KSA is a devil we have to deal with in order to get oil. Kind of, "the devil we know, versus the devil we don't". We give them weapons, it placates them, we get the oil. You think we don't know the Saudis are terrorists? KSA is the biggest sponsor of terrorist people, including the Palestinians, Lebanese, and Syrians. Once the oil runs out.....it will be a sad day indeed for KSA and the Gulf Nations- we don't need them for anything except that black gold. No oil, no cash, no weapons.
We like the Israelis for several reasons- 1. A great people committed to modernization and advancement in the sciences, technology, etc. 2. They fight terrorists like we do.
3. They probably have the best intelligence agencies in the world, better than our CIA or MI5, and are excellent allies to have in the Middle East.

brainless banana

Well, I don't agree with any alliance with Saudi Arabia or any punishment for its citizens who live under the Kingdom's rule and are not responsible for its actions. Saudi Arabia is not a democracy. There is no choice involved in living there, though its people may not realize it because they grew up with it and don't question it. If you are not allowed to question the policies of your own country, it's difficult for outsiders to criticize anyone for going along with them.

The U.S. should not have gone into Iraq and Afghanistan to begin with. It is colonialist and racist in my mind to do so and is not based on self-defense or any real direct threat to the U.S. What if it encourages extremism? The reports in the media about the conflict support this outcome, that the military presence is creating conflict and religious strife along with militancy, the destruction of holy sites, the targeting of civilians, kidnappings and other acts.

As for Saudi Arabia and Israel, I think once the conflict is solved, there will be a change in policy in the Arab world. It is not safe for Jews to go to certain Arab countries and without the creation of a Palestinian homeland, it's a political issue that won't be solved soon. Is it discrimination? I suppose, legally, it is but at the same time, it prevents them from putting themselves at risk in certain countries, not that I think of Saudi Arabians that way, but it could happen on an airplane or anywhere. So it is also an issue of international security.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: