placing the palestinian struggle

[Joanna Bujes]

Nathan wrote:
"I think US support for Israel is multi-dimensional.  First there are the two
positive reasons for support: There is the historical idealistic support for
a Jewish homeland as recompense for global indifference to the Holocaust;
there is a similar support for it as a democratic country amidst monarchies
and dictatorships."

I don't believe this for one minute. If there were any "Idealistic" 
support, it would have come in the shape of entry visas during the 
war. But the fact is that the U.S. only became mildly interested in 
Israel in it's struggle with nascent socialism in the ME: immigrants 
from eastern europe and USSR provided excellent intelligence to the 
CIA...whose role, after WWII...needed such bolstering.

It became extremely interested in Israel after 67 when Israel 
positioned itself as a proxy fighting force in the ME and volunteered 
to do the really dirty work of US foreign policy in Central America 
and Africa.

and as for your next statement:

"One wing of US military interests does like have a client state completely
dependent on the US as an ally in the region;"

I think that's absolutely right.

Joanna