Well, I think Rob is a good name no matter who has it. One of the neat things about this web site is that when presented with folks, anonymous or no, who make personal attacks, we can choose to ignore them (though most often we don't).

Bill Hahn, it's my understanding that Israel achieved its independence in '48 just as you say, with the odds against her amidst an incredible mix of substandard, used, and superannuated war materiel, and an army not unlike the 'rabble in arms' that the American colonials fielded against the Hessians. The Arabs, not to be underestimated as fighting men, were better armed, more numerous, but, obviously, poorly organized and led and I think most important of all, not motivated like the Israelis. I had a female Hebrew school teacher who lost her sister in the battle for Jerusalem in '48.

I think the massive amount of foreign aid from US to Israel was a post '67 reaction to the massive amount of aid given by the Soviets to the Arabs, in particular, Egypt.

This perception of Israeli as a military powerhouse of the Mid-East belies the well understood position of the Arab states that, for the most part, they want Israel out, they have the population, they have the oil money, and they are willing to field any type of military effort at all, from well financed militias to atomic arms.

In short, Israel will win until she doesn't, and that will be the end of her.

I think there is a special relationship between the United States and Israel, for many reasons. There is a special relationship between the United States and Great Britain which is far stronger and will outlast us. There are other special relationships, I think, between the US and Canada, the US and France, possibly Ireland and Germany as well.