Israel Hayom reported on a poll of American citizens which showed showed
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Asked which country was the greatest threat to the U.S., 34.8 percent said Iran, followed by China with 33.7% and North Korea with 17.6%. Asked which country was the second biggest threat to the U.S., 29.1% said North Korea, 28% said Iran and 16.2% said China.
As if they believed Iran would use nuclear weapons against Israel, 75.7% of respondents said yes, while 12.8% said no. Asked if they believed Iran would use nuclear weapons to attack U.S. military bases and ships in the Persian Gulf and Middle East, 69.8% of respondents said yes while 20.6% said no.
So far so good. But the next thing was shocking.
- Asked which country was the most trusted and dependable ally of the U.S., 65% said England, followed by 18.2% who said Israel.
I am totally surprised that only 18% said Israel was the most trusted. No doubt the high regard for Britain as an ally is due to the fact that Britain was a partner with America in the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a matter of fact, the British fought and died alongside the US Forces in Korea. Whether the US has been as loyal to the UK as the UK has been to the US is a matter of controversy. However, I agree that Israel being regarded as second only to the UK is a feather in Israel’s cap – particularly having regard to the often ambiguous stance successive US governments have taken towards Israel.
Many Israeli technologies supply America’s military with many qualitative edges.
And, the joint training exercises truly bind IDF and IAF with US Marines and Air Force.
which is why, in retrospect, America should NOT have gotten involved in Vietnam. (please do not expect any dialogue about the timing and tactics of how we could have won. I am a firm believer that only total war works, and the post-WW2 rules of engagement are why no one can win wars anymore)
yamit82: America did win Grenada and Panama, and, ultimately, the Cold War, by keeping it Cold. However, I do agree, we really shined militarily in WW2, except for waiting too long, and refusing haven to Jewish refugees.
“That’s one reason we have been paying those bastards all these years.” What Bastards are those?
Israel was prevented from aiding the American war against Saddam known as First Gulf War, by America which led to the fall of the Shamir government, which gave us Peres which led to Oslo agreements. The American patriots shot down not a single scud and the damage of the Patriots almost rivaled the scuds in damage to our cities and towns. In almost a month of undergoing some 39 scud attacks America took out absolutely 0 scuds or launchers. In the Lebanese war the IDF in the first hours took out almost all of the scud launchers. We were troubled with the short range katushas but not the more lethal and long range scuds.
In the 67 war America had operational plans to invade Israel to prevent our progress into Sinai and into Jordan. They were scraped due to the quickness of our total victory on the ground. The Liberty was part of that operation which was scrapped along with the Liberty.
If Iran finally attains nukes and weaponizes them and subsequently fires five or six at Israel what if anything would the Americans do except to commiserate and build new holocaust museums. What America could do with conventional weapons Israel would need to use Nukes. That could lead to a variety of unintentional consequences none good either for America or Israel. But if we do nothing as America demands of us and if Iran follows through we are dead and nothing untoward happens to America at least not immediately. That Syria has chemical warheads mounted on thousands of missiles and rockets that can reach all of Israel is not a minor threat but at least equal to nukes as a deterrent. America has never fought for Israel even when it looked like we might be defeated and massacred. They only injected themselves to save our enemies and to prevent our complete victories that if pursued might have brought peace to the whole of the Middle East.
Watching our back as you phrase it is Black Humor or a position made by a fool and ignoramus.
As one who claims to have “studied the Vietnam war in very great detail”. Are you sure of your facts?
I agree with the second part but certainly not the first. In fact they are a contradiction in terms and of historical facts. I suggest you go back and study.
America not only violated International Law by incremental invasion of S Vietnam they backed an illegitimate regime hated by most Vietnamese, and America for most native non Catholic and Francophone Vietnamese viewed America as an invader aggressor (which they were in fact). Their history and culture is totally alien to America that never had the support of the Vietnamese peasants. That is not to say they favored the communists they favored Vietnam as a unified entity. The Vietnamese history goes back to about 25O BCE. They were occupied and vassaled to the Chinese for a thousand years and overthrew the Chinese in war. They fought the Japanese quite successfully as well. Civil wars were common to all peoples in the region but in this civil war America interjected herself on the wrong side and lost. korea is quite similar. America hasn’t won a real war since WW 2.
On Vietnam, agree with you in spades, AE.
Not many have the knowledge or guts to say that nowadays.
I’ve studied the Vietnam war in very great detail. The relevance of this war to the present political/cultural condition of the U.S. cannot be overstated; lessons learned in this war resonate greatly today, if people would only learn them properly.
My own take is that the key decision point was in 1963, the battle of Ap Bac. This was when a U.S.-trained/advised/supplied force with overwhelming material superiority was smashed by a smaller force of V.C. armed with only light weapons. This battle showcased, in microcosm, the dileammas we faced there. Our S. Vietnamese allies included many well-meaning and sincere people, but taken as a whole, they were hopelessly corrupt (and now we are repeating this error to the third power with our “ally” Pakistan). At that point, one can persuasively argue that we should have cut our losses then and got out, redrawing our Cold War SE Asian “defensive perimeter” at the Thai border, a reliable local ally. Vietnam would have fallen, but at little cost to the U.S., and this would have been a footnote in the history of the Cold War. I doubt that the communists would have got much farther than that.
But once we committed to stay and prevail, we could have and should have won. We had them on the ropes after Tet in ’68; if we’d followed that up with a “Linebacker”-style air campaign – for which we had to wait four years and another president who understood geopolitics – we might very well have prevailed then. We’d have also had to get control of the “media/PR” war, where we were completely outmaneuvered. This was a new type of warfare developed by the North Vietnamese communists (and perfected by the Palestinians and their backers, on direct advice gleaned by Arafat himself on a visit to Hanoi in the late ’60s).
Our defeat in Vietnam has utterly distorted and warped our political culture. To make a long story short, the freakshow that is the Obama administration, the fact that we could have elected such a clown and his entourage, entrusting these knaves with the most powerful office in the land, is the direct – if long-term – consequence of the sick trajectory we’ve been on since the debacle of Vietnam.
This poll is misleading. I think most Americans did not even think of Israel in these terms because Israel and the US are so close – inspite of Yamit’s efforts – that most Americans take it for granted that Israel would join the US if necessary. It would be awesome force if an opportunity presented itself – and every American knows we could count on Israel. A combined US-Israeli force would be so overwhelming that it wouldn’t even be fair to whichever enemy was stupid enough to fight the US and Israel together.
Israel has never had the opportunity to join America in any major military action for all kinds of timing and geopolitical reasons. I don’t even see an opportunity unless Iran decides it is time for the 12th Imam. Even then, Israel should be able to obliterate Iran on its own while the US will keep the other Muslim countries at bay. That’s one reason we have been paying those bastards all these years.
In actual wars it is Australia that has always stood shoulder to shoulder with the US, not Britain, who would be a close second.
Confronting the spread of communism in Vietnam is what helped break the back of communism and its objective of dominating the world, by force if necessary. If you think the Vietcong were benign freedom fighters consider the million or so of their own people they massacred after the US withdrew. Freedom fighters do not massacre their own people.
I dont agree with the poll, I would put Israel as our most trusted and number one, I love England but I love Israel way more, I have never been polled wish they would poll me
I wouldn’t make a big deal out of this.
As pro-Isreal as I am, even I wouldn’t rate Israel #1 in a poll like this; I’d put Israel at about #5, but that’s only because I’m taking history into account stretching back to the beginnings of this country. Modern Israal just hasn’t been around all that long compared with others I’d rate ahead of her.
My own list would put Australia at #1, Canada at #2, Britain at #3, and the Netherlands at #4. This is based on behavior not only in the present, but again, over the course of history, in a kind of “how far do we go back” kind of sense.
But even #5 is extremely high. That puts Israel ahead of anyone in Europe outside of the UK and the Netherlands. Also ahead of Japan, S. Korea. And, of course, includes NO Arab or Moslem countries…none of which I would really count as an “ally” in any genuine sense at all.
Now, if the question were phrased differently, as in, “What country is the most important ally the U.S. has TODAY within the context of the war on Islamist terror?”, THEN I’d rate Israel #1.
I would also point out that given the shabby treatment the U.S. subjects Israel to – especially right now under Obama – if I were THEM, I would question how close to the U.S. Israel ought to be.
That Israel came in second in thie poll is truly remarkable, given the beating Israel takss in the press.
Relax, Ted.
P.S. Bear in mind that it is G-d who OWES the Jew. G-d needs to reach each Jew where their at. The Jew doesnt need G-d. G-d NEEDS the Jews. A stubborn bunch we are! We are not a very patient people. G-d always takes its sweet time. Well not always. If your a Gentile you can feed off of both G-d AND the Jews.
Its not that simple. Its not that cut and dry. Some Jews are compelled to move to the homeland. Some are not. From the holocaust many were assimulated. Those Jews cant easily drop their families to run to the homeland. If one really cares for the survival of Israel and the Jewish people firstly pray that they can strengthen their family bond. Secondly ask G-d to rekindle their faith and give them discernment and wisdom. But MOST of all ask G-d to give them RENEWED CONFIDENCE!
I would said Israel is one of the most trusted friend and ally of the US, certainly the only one in the ME.
Israel has her hands full with her Arab neighbors and a crazy government, one that needs to remember their G-d given rights to the Holy Land and do their utmost to protect those rights. I suggest every member of the government read and digest the Torah.
Don’t believe this poll; it’s jaded. I will always stand with Israel, was never polled, and know millions like me are out there never being asked.
It’s claculated to make Israel look bad, whatelse is new?
Of coarse dont forget if it wasnt for the extreme hated of Israel and the U.S.A. defending its right to exist – the American way – this war wouldnt even be happening. That is what alot of people are lead to believe. Oh yeah, WWII is just an example of what a crock that kind of mentality is.
This is absurd. The last thing the US wants is for Israel to be involved in the wars we fight. The US demanded Israel not even respond to saddam’s scud missiles in the first gulf war, otherwise it would break up the coalition. This is how pathological arab hatred is for Jews that they threatened to end their support of a war America fought on behalf of the arab gulf states themselves if Israel were to defend itself against saddam. The arabs act as though they are doing us a favor by letting us defend them.
2nd question on the poll:
Q2. – WHO OR WHAT IS THE GREATEST THREAT TO THE UNITED STATES?
– 1000 Total
– 173 17.3 THE ECONOMY
– 124 12.4 BARACK OBAMA
– 77 7.7 TERRORISTS/AL QUEDA
– 59 5.9 OURSELVES/USA
– 58 5.8 BUDGET/DEFICIT
– 56 5.6 CONGRESS
– 41 4.1 UNEMPLOYMENT/JOBS
– 35 3.5 TEA PARTY
– 21 2.1 GOVERNMENT SPENDING
– 21 2.1 BICKER/GRIDLOCK
– 21 2.1 CHINA
– 20 2.0 GOVERNMENT
– 17 1.7 MISC
– 16 1.6 FINANCIAL
– 16 1.6 POLITICIANS
– 16 1.6 REPUBLICANS
– 15 1.5 WAR/IRAQ/AFGHAN
– 13 1.3 IRAN
– 12 1.2 MUSLIMS
– 10 1.0 IMMIGRATN/ILLEG ALIEN
– 9 0.9 LEADERSHIP
– 9 0.9 RELIG/PEOPLE/MORALS
– 8 0.8 GOP
– 8 0.8 BIG BIZ
Note China above Iran and both very low on the list. Economy is less than 20% ???
This seems to reflect Americans. 🙂
Here are the original and complete surveys!
NATIONAL SURVEY – SECUREAMERICANOW.ORG
McLAUGHLIN & ASSOCIATES AND CADDELL ASSOCIATES
http://secureamericanow.s3.amazonaws.com/68/0f/8/161/National_SAN_09-19-11_PRESS_Topline_FINAL.pdf
http://secureamericanow.s3.amazonaws.com/68/7d/f/160/National_SAN_09-19-11_PRESS_X-tabs_FINAL.pdf
I agree with both Andy and Laura. #2 is incredible. The real irony is that only Australia has fought side by side with Americans in every war since WW1. Great Britain did NOT deploy to Vietnam (ok, not that the US should have either), not sure about Korea.
I have actually read leftie comments that criticize US support for Israel because the IDF did not join the US in the two Iraq wars!
Too bad they did not poll the US Navy about favorite shore leave east of Italy. Haifa!
I agree with Andy. That Israel is regarded as the second most trusted ally of America is not a bad thing.
I wouldn’t worry. There can only be one MOST trusted ally. The fact that 18 percent chose Israel when Need are maybe 2 percent of the population is actually a positive. I bet if the question were “Do you consider Israel a trusted ally?” The percent answering yes would be close to 70 percent
Not shocking at all, Ted. The key word in
is most. “England” would have been my answer, too. We speak English here, just like (well, almost like) you Canadians. It’s the only answer that makes any sense, linguistically or historically. Please don’t take it to mean something it doesn’t.
A question like
would’ve given a much more reassuring answer.
Breathe, Ted, breathe. It’s going to be OK.