As an Israeli Jew who has traveled frequently to the United States, I believe that Israel and the United States share many features. They are both European-settler states that displaced an indigenous population. They both acted in their countries with a sense of Manifest Destiny, both motivated by the belief that their conquest and colonization were divinely blessed. They are both societies that believe themselves to have a special mission to the rest of humanity (to be "a light unto the nations," to bring democracy to benighted countries). As the strongest power in the Middle East, Israel places its ability to impose its exclusive claim to the entire Land of Israel (including the Occupied Territories) on its military superiority. The United States, the strongest power in the world, asserts its hegemony over the planet through military force. Especially since September 11, both perceive themselves as besieged fortresses�Fortresses of Fear�alienated from a hostile outside world and threatened by it. Israelis often use the term "Fortress Israel" to describe our country. In the U.S., the image of a fortress is embedded in The Star Spangled Banner.
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link Lawrence of Cyberia Jul.12.04
