What would the world be like without Israel? That’s what this article from Foreign Policy considers:
Imagine that Israel never existed. Would the economic malaise and political repression that drive angry young men to become suicide bombers vanish? Would the Palestinians have an independent state? Would the United States, freed of its burdensome ally, suddenly find itself beloved throughout the Muslim world? Wishful thinking. Far from creating tensions, Israel actually contains more antagonisms than it causes.
Well worth a read.
I think there are some other similar questions that are worth considering:
- What if the United States wasn’t giving military aid to Israel?
My own belief is that U. S. military aid reduces the likelihood of armed conflict between Israel and its neighbors and, consequently, the number of dead Israelis and Arabs.
- What if Israel had no nuclear weapons?
My own belief is that, once again, Israel’s possession of nuclear weapons reduces the likelihood of armed conflict between Israel and its neighbors and, consequently, the number of dead Israelis and Arab. Another interesting question arising from this is would Israel’s neighbors stop seeking nuclear weapons if Israel did not have them? Really?
