W.J. Astore
You get what you pay for
This graphic provides clarity as to why Joe Biden and other senior leaders in the U.S. government are consistently pro-Israel:
Of course, the power of AIPAC and similar interest groups isn't limited to the money they give in campaign "donations." If you cross them, they will use their power to denounce you as anti-Semitic and anti-Israel while supporting more tractable candidates against you.
You have to hand it to AIPAC and Israel. They basically control much of the U.S. government and for a relatively cheap price.
Of course, I'm not suggesting money and intimidation are the only reasons these men support Israel, but they are compelling ones.
The Palestinians and indeed the Arab and Muslim world simply have no counter to AIPAC and Israel. Unless you count oil and the threat of turning the taps off. Still, the power of the Israeli lobby in America is staggering. Many members of Congress seem more eager and willing to protect Israel at any cost than America itself. Senator Fetterman of Pennsylvania literally draped himself in an Israeli flag to show his support of that country.
Yes, that is U.S. Senator John Fetterman at a pro-Israel rally
To be an ally of a country, you don't have to be a slavering puppet. Or a groveling puppy.
What is wrong with these people?
Update (5/11): I added this to the comments section and then thought it might be useful here as well: Besides money and fear, especially of being labeled anti-Semitic, here are more reasons why U.S. politicians support Israel so strongly:
1. It's the path of least resistance.
2. For some, support of Israel is tied up with evangelicalism and other forms of Judeo-Christian faith.
3. They want to cash in after they leave office, and being construed as not entirely pro-Israel may be detrimental to that.
4. Sympathy for Israel (and Jews) as victims of the Holocaust.
5. Discomfort or antipathy toward Muslims, e.g. they seem more "alien" or less Western than Israelis and Jewish people in general.
6. The IDF and its intelligence services are intertwined with the CIA and various other U.S. intelligence agencies. In other words, fear of reprisals, because, let's face it, most politicians have a lot of skeletons in various closets, and even if they don't, skeletons can be "found."
7. The U.S. mainstream media is almost entirely uncritical of Israel. Strong criticism of Israel will lead to negative coverage. Support of Israel produces positive coverage.
8. Being treated as an outcast among your peers. Most politicians relish being part of the club and basking in applause. You're in the club and applauded when you support Israel. The opposite is true if you don't.
Any others, readers? (And, of course, money/jobs related to all the U.S. weaponry that flows to Israel.)
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