Why do conservatives care about Israel?

Seriously, what is behind the conservative obsession with Israel? The Romney campaign has turned Israel into a central focus of his message, he's continuing to insist that President Obama has damaged our relationship with Israel (which is the opposite of true) and conservatives on Twitter are currently crapping themselves with glee about the DNC restoring a minor reference to Jerusalem back into the party platform (which conservatives insists nobody follows anyway).

It's certainly not on behalf of American Jews, since the vast majority of Jews are liberal Democrats, and the vast majority of Christian fundamentalists are conservatives who think Jews are simply unconverted Christians.

It most likely isn't because of Israel's political stance, since for the vast majority of its existence, Israel hasn't been interested in nation-building, only survival.

Is it really because Israel is the Biblical site of the return of Jesus Christ? Is it something else? I don't get it.

actressmikey doesn't care about Jewish people.

Yep.

Nope.

Yeah, you do, just the sane parts of your brain don't want to believe something could be so stupid, and solipsistic, and wicked.

It's a combination of believing that Israel must be restored to its ostensible biblical borders for jesus to return, islamophobia, a hard on for Bibi, and the annointing of jews as a token religion to be tolerated to show that conservatives aren't really religious bigots after all.

For the fundamentalists, it's in fulfillment of prophecy. The Jews have to be returned to Israel and the Temple rebuilt before the Second Coming.

For the rest, it's probably a combination of belated guilt for WWII and "If they all move to Tel Aviv, they won't move in across the street."

Could it be that we support the idea of a people having their own nation and self determination of government, and having an ally in a very volatile region of the world?

Nah! Couldn't be that!

...then why did we prop up the Shah?

The Shah was our boy, so was Saddam for awhile.

No matter how many civilians they slaughter? And why is it "self-determination" when it wouldn't survive six months without being propped up by U.S. aid?

Idiots.

"Never again." Look it up.

Of course, when we supported the people of Libya rising up to have "their own nation," the President was attacked for starting another war. And when we stepped aside to let the complex situation in Egypt sort itself out, we were "throwing Mubarak under the bus."

So, I'm pretty sure it couldn't be that.

I've been wondering that myself.

What do you mean by 'what do you mean'?

You think it's out of concern for the Jewish people?

No offense, but that's laughable.

I've said it before, absent religion, why couldn't we have relocated everyone to Wyoming?

Wide open spaces, plenty of room, no one else there to fuck with 'em, they could've turned it into a paradise.

Mormons get Utah, and they're just a stupid cult.

Libya went from being an unfriendly nation to...we don't know yet, but I don't expect them to be our new best friend. Egypt went from being a friendly nation to...we don't know yet, but I don't expect them to be our new best friend.

While we've had a few issues with Israel like sinking one of our ships and spying on us, I'd count on Israel before I'd count on Libya, Egypt, or the Muslim Brotherhood.

The religious conservatives who believe that believe they are literally trying to bring about the end of the world. I will never understand why politicians would side with a group of people who want to end the world (according to their beliefs).

This is a good question, actually. What is the conservative obsession with the tiny, useless state that has proven nothing but a headache for decades?

If you're going to reject one of the obvious answers, then you're not really asking conservatives, you're looking for a circle jerk with Gargamel and Liet so they'll tell you what you want.

I've never been a rude to you or trolled you, but in this instance you're being a twat.

As I said: delayed guilt.

In fairness, it's not that they want to "end the world" as such, but rather "end a flawed, sinful world where injustice often prevails and replace it with a scenario in which justice ALWAYS prevails and all remaining people live happily ever after."

...for the minuscule fraction of humanity that subscribes to their beliefs. Everyone else can rot in hell. They are traitors to the human race to want that.

The politicians involved are cynical, just want votes, and figure while the doomsdayers are busy jacking off to their little apocalypse fantasy, they can't get up to real mischief.

It's a fish to seals.

Candyland, with blood and carcasses.

True infantilism.

I have no belief in "chosen people" or "promised lands," nor do I have any guilt over the Holocaust.

I support the Israelis because they got a rough deal from everyone and still managed to create a free, decent society in the small piece of mostly barren land they wound up on.

I support the Israelis because the land they've gained through war was from Arabs, who begrduged the Israelis a small piece of land in Palestine, who doubled-down on destroying the Israelis several times and lost, and who now want their losses reversed.

I support the Israelis because, if one could choose a society in the Middle East to be born into, does anywhere else come close? Ironically, if one were born an Arab, being born into Israeli society would provide far more freedom and opportunity. And if you were to be reborn a woman, would you choose Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, etc...or Israel?

Israel is a fact. If you want that fact not to be, I have to ask: how do you see that happening?

Or, to put it another way: why DON'T you care about Israel?

Oh definitely. I doubt there are many politicians who believe as strongly as some of their constituency. The trick is determining who is in it for the votes and who is in it for the apocalypse. Those in it for the votes are just as much to blame for this nonsense as those in it for the apocalypse, because they are giving credence to these delusions, but are ultimately not quite as dangerous.

Honestly, Turkey might be the best choice. Israel is a rather dangerous place for everyone (not just certain groups) if you hadn't noticed. Israel and Jordan would tie for second.

I care enough to want to put them in Wyoming.