Hey XXX...
yes there is a common thread....
But again, that is not my point........
Many folks... especially the younger generations... assume that the U.S. and Israel have ALWAYS had a special relationship and that the U.S. has always supported the Jewish people as a whole....
And the fact is that that is not so....
We did not support them in their fight for independence (1948) although we did step on and recognize them....
Prior to 48, prior to and during WWII, we, as a country did nothing for a long long time in answer to the holocaust... In fact, during that period, if I remember my facts right (and I dont want to have to go out and google all over the place) we, and our allies were less than sympathetic to the problems facing the European Jewish population... We cut immigration quotas so that more could not come into the country, etc... Britain was just as bad, not allowing or severely curtailing immigration to palestine during the same period....
To claim that the US has been the primary supporter of Israel (which many claim) is to ignore the facts....
I admire the hell out of Israel... They took a bunch of desert and turned it into something liveable.... In 1948, with no appreciable outside help, they fought back 6 (or 7 can't remember which right now) invading countries.... They have scraped and fought their way to where they are against all reasonable odds with the only real significant help from the U.S. starting with the airlift in 1973 (which is one of the 3 things I give Richard Nixon credit for)....
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