Yaniv, do yourself a favor, and do not include this article in your Ph.D. thesis, which is supposed to represent an original contribution to knowledge. What you have written here has been a self-evident truth since the relationship between Israel and the US ever began. Israel can only rely on itself for its own self-defense, and cannot rely on the United States to come to its aid if push comes to shove. It is also undignified for the Sovereign State of the Jewish People to rely indefinitely on handouts from the United States, like some 3rd world debtor nation. The relationship between Israel and the US has been a great and durable one, and must continue, but Israeli and American interests are not identical. Taking money or arms from the United States necessarily means operating within the constraints of American interests and demands. America learned its lesson shortly after 1776, and is a much better nation for it.

When the entire Israeli government with the passive help of the apathetic population is in the advanced process of dismantling their nation ....then what the US and her Jewry supposed to do? Trying to stop Olmert or speed up the process? The best for America to stay clear from this self destruct , disintegrating country.

Then you can talk about create new or redefining alliances.

(1) What should the United States have done in response to the Georgian situation? Started a war with Russia? Gone to the U.N. Security Council, where Russia can veto any decision as of right? Aside from the $1 billion in aid America is about to send, what could/should it have done? (2) What other alliances does Israel propose to forge? Put another way, what other country (of strategic significance) wants a strong alliance with Israel? Well, let's see, there's........ (3) America does not acquiesce to Israeli policy. Israel, particularly since Rice has been in charge of the State Department, acquiesces to America's policy vis a vis Israel. That $2.5 billion in free weapons every year comes at a price. (4) How does "[t]he current elections [sic] campaign in the US shows that the era of automatic American support for any Israeli policy is apparently ending"? John McCain is one of Israel's strongest supporters. He has never said anything to the effect of what the author is claiming. Not even close. Indeed, he has a new TV commercial attacking Iran and showing Jerusalem with an Israeli flag superimposed over it. The writer is painting with broad strokes, but cites no evidence. Yet another brilliant analysis of American policy by what would qualify as a foreign policy expert only in Israel.

Answer is "of course not" and yet recent Govts are as dependant on the US as leeches suck blood

As Hamas gains political ascendancy in Gaza, Iran exports Islamic radicalism throughout the Middle-East, Lebanon faces the possibility of a Syrian-backed Iranian-funded Hizbullah revolution and Iraq explodes into sectarian violence, the least we can say is that American hegemonyin the Middle-East is shaky. A s a result of this reality, the Bush Administration has made a calculated, tactical foreign policy shift back to supporting “moderate” secular dictators and despots over “aggressive” Islamic dictators who represent a greater threat to American interest. In so doing, it has chosen what it considers to be the lesser of the two evils. Non of this will work in Israel favor as noticed at : http://xrl.us/bj5qh

you cannot even begin to compare israel american to georgian american relationships

Americans ONLY defend american interest, period. In order to be graphic, the relationship between Israel and the US is similar to the Monica Lewinski and Bill Clinton affair, for a fee obviously.

Can I get an Amen?

conflict by seizing Russia's oil pipelines. What did they expect from Russia, candy bars and attaboys? Russia is being provoked by the West in many ways and what I see is the Ezekiel chapter 38 hook the Lord is putting in the jaw of Gog, Chief Prince of Meshach and Tubal in the land of Magog...which is most likely Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Tubulsk and Russia. God is going to provoke Gog (PM Putin?) to attack Israel and to go up (north) to a land of unwalled villages to take a spoil which is North America (Canada or USA). Israel will be protected by an earthquake and weapons that melt the eyes. North America will likely become third world countries from the devastation of the plan of attack described first by Nikita Krushchev in the 1950's. Both coasts are nuked after a high altitude EMP attack puts out the electricity. Prepositioned troop invaders come up through Mexico and down from Canada and fly over the Arctic. Russia has been building a warship submarine every 37 days for a while now. World War III is coming.

While we might be allies withe the USA we also know we can't rely on their aid should the need arise.This was shown already when the Whitehouse turned down the request for new planes for refueling in mid air among other requests. The Us will do only what is in its best interests especially now,with the trouble it is in economically brought on by higher oil and gas prices,but then again the entire world is in the same boat,so expect no help from anyone! Until the rest of the world developes alternative energy resources and reduces dependence on arab oil we are

at the mercy of the Arabs and alot of tthem are the enemies of Israel, and are not to fond of the US either! So don't rely on any other nation to come to Israel's aid it wont happen!

The only morons who think the US is behind Israel in its many fronts with arabs are AIPAC and Israeli politicians. The US does what is in the US's best interest to do - and sometimes that means selling lots of arms to Israel's enemies (eg. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Fatah) and pressuring Israel not to pre-empt.

made sense until you start in on Magog from Revelations. I have a copy of the New Testament around around for reference, and I've never seen such specific predictions as you make anywhere in Revelations. We will just have to wait and see if all this sabre rattling by the Russians is somehow connected with the start of the Apocalypse or just another modern event stirring the imagination of those who prefer to reverse interpret them. I suggest you relax, take a nice walk, and worry about something else

Mutually Assured Destruction: if the Russians ever try some of the stuff you are proposing, there won't even be a Russia for them to come home to after it has been thoroughly NUKED! Krushchev is dead, by the way. About the only things he has accomplished was the failed prepositioning of ICBM's in Cuba and a corruption and weekening of America by increased, adictive drug availability sponsored by Cuba and other pro Communist entities such as the FARQ. Even the tide of consumed, illegal drugs has been falling in the U.S. recently. Oh, one other thing. You can't take over a country with submarines. We have plenty of attack submarines to defend against submarines however we could you more. Do you have a source for your statement that Russia is building a new submarine every 37 days? If so, I'd love to see it,read it, and check it out. If this is true, we better hope Barack Obama DOESN'T win the presedency. He says he will make large cuts in the U.S. defense buget.

The comparison between Georgia and Israel are rather artificial. While Georgia has shown herself as paper tiger which was burnt under a small Russian spark-war, Israel is a regional super-power. As such Israel can learn from Russia that still in the 21 century the military force is telling and one may annex territories from agressive states- this is what Israel should have learnt. For example, Israel should annex Golan from Syria because of Syrias agression- Russian behavior is a precedent.

So do not take dangerous uncalculated steps that inflect upon us

Do you understand the circumstances of the Georgia war? Do you even know who attacked who first? Georgia launched a sneak attack on it's breakaway provinces while 80 heads-of-state were watching the opening Olympics cememony. Which begs the question, was Georgia hoping nobody would notice? Do you understand the nature of Russia's relationship to Georgia? Or the U.S. relationship to Georgia? I know that the English press did a very poor job of reporting on the facts of this conflict, but do some digging and you will find that Georgia is not akin to Israel. There is one lesson, maybe, that Israel can learn from the Georgia war - if a country expects U.S. backing for a military operation, it's best to notify the U.S. and coordinate with the U.S. BEFORE launching a sneak attack.

We can count on HaShem only

without coordinating it with the US beforehand. We are ALOT closer to the US than Georgia ever was/will be. Still and yet, the US is supporting Georgia with aid and diplomatic efforts. What else can you ask the US to do under the circumstances, strike Moscow?

I'm not an expert on the war, but this guy really knows his stuff: http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/08/the-truth-about-1.php

which is used to augment the Israeli budget, and use it to accelerate and pay for the settlements. Then you bitch about how the US will not assist you when such assistance will result in the death of US citizens. I have never heard of Israelis dying at the hands, or on behalf, of the US, but the reverse is definitely not true. Expecting us to be stupid enough to die for Israel is a ridiculous thought although I will admit our political leadership sometimes makes it seem like a realistic option. I have an idea...refuse all aid from the US and go it alone. Show your real independence and courage instead of whining. It seems that whining is the only thing you guys are good at. That and attacking the defenceless.

Meir, It is people like you that have soured the traditional alliance between our nations. We have been defending and supporting Israel's interests for decades. I'd like to see any proof that this alliance has any benefits for the USA at all. Just money down the drain is what I see.

This is just about the most insulting thing I have read in a while. While I don't mind at all if Israel seeks new alliances, the comparison to Georgia is simply an unforgivable affront. I won't even explain why you can't compare Israel to Georgia in this instance. Pathetic.

It depends who is leading the country. If it is Obama, you can hope for the best, but don't count on anything. Obama is very anxious to appease the rest of the world. Don't put it past him to do it at Israel's expense. If McCain is the president, Israel can count on the U.S.

that's why this election is of such enormous importance to israel and its supporters.