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Israel a valued ally
The March 14 letter titled “Israel is not an ally” is antithetical to the truth. What other Middle East neighbor would the author prefer to have as an ally?
Friends may not always agree on matters of importance, but Israel is the best friend the United States has in the Middle East. Name the other country in this dangerous neighborhood that has a free society and shares our Western ideals?
Yes, we provide military aid to Israel. The bulk of that money must be spent in the U.S., and provides jobs for some 50,000 American workers. In contrast to commitments in Europe, Japan, Korea, etc., not one American serviceman needs to be stationed in Israel, saving the U.S. possibly billions of dollars.
In 2005, then-Sen. Daniel Inouye said the contribution made by Israeli intelligence to America is greater than provided by all NATO countries combined.
Our consideration of national allies is not that much different to the methods used to identify personal friends. We should stand by Israel because it is our friend despite any minor differences. You can never go wrong being loyal to friends. You can never be right by attempting to appease an enemy.
Joel Novin
Spokane