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I have always wondered why a "developed" country needed so much foreign aid.
Israel is an eastern Mediterranean beachhead for the countries of early industrialization (i.e. UK, France, US) in case they need to launch a full-scale invasion of the oil crescent, as well as Suez canal trade, from that direction.
Over the decades, that relationship has taken on its own dimension, on the one hand, while oil's importance as an energy input has decreased in proportional terms, on the other, but it is still important, very important.
Israel could probably not survive on its own if other sovereign countries and other political entities in the oil crescent possess and can use nuclear weapons or similar weapons of mass destruction.
But at the same time, other such entities would probably also be committing suicide, for better or worse.
I've always wondered why they don't ever seem to put any boots on the ground to help the US during wars. I mean, they are supposedly one of our closest allies and they have a very capable military. Countries like Albania, El Salvador, and Tonga sent troops but not Israel? Anyone know why this is?
Last edited by wvtraveler; 08-16-2015 at 12:54 PM..
I've always wondered why they don't ever seem to put any boots on the ground to help the US during wars. I mean, they are supposedly one of our closest allies and the have a very capable military. Countries like Albania, El Salvador, and Tonga sent troops but not Israel? Anyone know why this is?
Israel is only an ally in name, I think Israel sees the US as more or less a sugar daddy that pays her bills.
I've always wondered why they don't ever seem to put any boots on the ground to help the US during wars. I mean, they are supposedly one of our closest allies and they have a very capable military. Countries like Albania, El Salvador, and Tonga sent troops but not Israel? Anyone know why this is?
Its because Israeli boots on the ground would not be welcomed by any of its coalition partners, especially not in conflicts within the Middle East. Israeli boots on the ground would be more of a negative as they'd only serve to further inflame tensions/give rise to terrorist activity.
More specifically, though, I believe that Israel has contributed troops to peacekeeping missions.
If Israel lost all the miliary support of the USA, they would fall easy prey to Islamic countries who might quickly invade them. But then if Israel released all Palestinian territories and withdrew from them and minded its own business behind secure borders, no islamic state would be very interested in invading them.
So the answer is that a peaceful non-aggressive non-expansive non-colonial non-occupying Israel within confined borders could survive very well, probably at a more austere standard of living, even without foreign aid. But the present Israel, that we all know and understand, would not last a day without at least military aid.
So it depends on the character of your hypothetical Israel. If they are the enemy of the people around them, and need to defend themselves, it is their own doing, but need not be necessarily so..
I have always wondered why a "developed" country needed so much foreign aid.
I just looked up Israel's actual economy how they gain incomes and thru which venues~~?? These links may help with that..THEY have to import oil or it's products etc..But their actual land mass hold no actual resources to assist...plus their location is right in the middle of turmoil!
I believe that U.S. aid to Israel amounts to less than $400/per Israeli citizen. so it's more symbolic than absolutely necessary. The U.S. is much more valuable to Israel as a trade partner, geo-political shield, and for the economic and cultural benefits created by inter-migration between the U.S. and Israel.
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