US "asks" Europe not to support Palestinian bid at UN...

I used to think that's a big part of it, but I don't believe that it is a big part of it anymore.

The type of support Israel has received, Christian fundamentalists do not receive for their own causes at home.

If they were so powerful as to sustain unconditional support for 5-6 decades, two parties and at least half a dozen Presidents, then abortion would be illegal, evolution would not be taught in America, and children would be praising the Lord every morning at school.

The fundamentalist politicians will propogate the idea that this has something to do with Armageddon because their followers will eat that up easily.

Most of it is about money (public sends them aid, they return the favor by buying weapons from the private sector) and strategy (oil, home base). Israel is clearly not armed to fight off Palestinian groups, it is armed to virtually take on the entire Middle East with some support from its allies.

It has a lot to do with the events after WWII.

That's what makes Iranian oil so lucrative to the US, it completes the puzzle. Britain lost it, and now America can get it so the neocons are foaming at the mouth.

Not much has changed. In fact, since then, the US is by far the world's largest consumer of oil and the Middle East region is by far the biggest owner of the most easily extractable fossil fuels.

There is also one more goal which actually predates the second world war, which is a strategy no different than that of any other superpower in history, and its the security imperative to prevent the emergence of a powerful regional rival. So it is stratgically important that you don't put all the tools for a superpower in the same place - Israel has the nukes. You can't give nukes and control of oil in the hands of the Arabs who could (like Iran, Egypt) end up recapturing their own interests and suddenly be in posession of incredible economic power, incredible military power, a massive army, and an ideology easily manipulable by politicians. Say for example the Arabs decide to establish a United States of Arabs, while controlling 20-30% of world oil, and they end up with nukes. That's another Russia, another China. Can't happen. Won't happen, whatever the cost.

That's why Saddam had to go based on the minute possibility that he may be developing nukes. That's why the Iranian government has to go based on the minute possibility that they may develop nukes. That's why the idea that Iran may imminently develop nukes has been spread since the early 80's and almost 3 decades later there are no nukes. Pakistan has nukes and from what we read a corrupt government, an extremist sub population hell bent on violence, and serious tensions with neighbouring India. Why is that not the top priority in the world? It's because their nukes are not enough to make them a superpower.

There are other factors too obviously. It's a complex situation.

To chalk all of this up to Christian fundamentalism is a severe oversimplification. It may be the reason why a sub group of American followers go along with it. It is not a coincidence that supporting this Armageddon frenzy is hugely profitable to some people and simultaneously spiritually satisfying to another group of people. I don't buy for a second that haarvard educated multi billionaires believe the words that come out of their own mouths when they say they have to support Israel because of their religious beliefs lol.