If Assad does try to take out Haifa, he'll be attacking the USA as well, and the response will be, well, biblical.

Every thing will be closed!

Good that it's stopped to refuel. For any Jewish sailors on board perhaps they'll get to celebrate New Year in Israel - should be a treat for them! Hopefully, it will also be a deterrent should any crazy group try and take advantage of the chaos in the region and target Israel. Had a cousin that served on a warship in that area recently. Said it was rather nerve-wracking at times.

...that the Israeli cab drivers don't poison the Marines' vacation!

That is IT... BiBI is very DISAPPOINTED...This whole thing about Chemicals by ASSAD is NOTHING but an Israeli FRAME UP.. SO Israelis..RELAX...BiBi has to do a better FRAMING Job next time.... The WACKY Saudis..Jordanians..ar also DISAPPOINTED...

Jawohl!! Ve are ze vuns that haf framed ASSad into gassing his citizens. Ve haf also framed your cat into hafing ze trots!! Get a life!! If Israel was only 10% as competent as everything you haters attribute to her we would be superheroes!!

Hope the sailors enjoy Israel as much as I did (been there twice)...would have been x3 this month if not for some issues with gf.

I am shocked she entered port under her own power. Perhaps she actually has been repaired. As the first of her class, she had real problems. I thought she might even be sold to Gillette.

It does not bother me how Personal you get...Keep it up..BUT.... This whole Chemical thing in Syria is LIKE a BAD OFF BROADWAY Play.. PUT by a NICE NEW YORK Jewish Director on a LOW Budget... Israel did not do a good Job with the Syrian Opposition... Kerry and CO can't even get their FACTS straight..and NO one wants to go for a WAR Orchestrated by Israel.. WITH UNLIMITED FUNDING by the Qataris, Saudis..and Emiratis.. They will NOT say this..BUT they are COMING CLOSE..

they certainly are welcome and we are the only "normal" country in the area.

Is it that complicated to understand that Israel is the only country in the middle east that respects freedom and human equality. Israel has never killed it's own people, yet the majority of the surrounding countries have. Israelis don't treat women like second class citizens, while the other countries do.

Let's give Rome due. Logic in every move.

that Israel will have nothing to do with the coming storm

It was a great experience beside public media, telling every little detail about us. It's amazing how we go in rivercity 1 or 2 so we want leak any information but the media just post any and everything. What about the protection of the crew and Marines? But anyway Jerusalem was an excellent tour.