I've always tried to see Israel in the context of the romantic notion of its founding. I've always tried to rationalize the dark spots as part of the growing pains of a nation trying to find its way.
But at some point, you just have to accept that something is what it is. I was born in 1976, and for my entire life Israel has been a hard right militaristic and sometimes downright racist nation. For my entire life they have maintained millions of 2nd class citizens in the occupied territories with no resolution in sight.
The worst part is that they actively participate in our politics in a way that no other nation would be allowed to without violating espionage laws. This has nothing to do with the Jewish faith or ethnicity. This is about one sovereign nation dictating policy positions to another sovereign nation. This about telling President Obama that he has to start a war, or they'll work against him in his reelection bid.
We are told that we should always support Israel, because they share our values. Really? Which values do they share?
The biggest threat to Israel's security is a land dispute, which has been going on for four decades now. My values as an American would tell me to come to some acceptable boundary, and find a way to get the Palestinian people on the way to some level of dignity.
Israel tries to constantly push a narrative of grave peril surrounding their existence. The objective reality is a military superiority, which is only challenged by resentment leading to asymmetrical acts of violence.
If Israel felt these threats are grave, then why wouldn't something as simple as not building new settlements be acceptable as a path towards a peaceful resolution.
The truth is Israel doesn't feel threatened. They are what happens when right wing fear mongering is left unchecked. Israel does what it wants, and justifies under the guise of national security.
I don't think we should let Iran develop a nuclear weapon, but setting an arbitrary deadline in the midst of a US election is disgusting. They will get what they want. The US will attack Iranian nuclear sites, and end up having to cripple the Iranian navy to protect Saudi oil.
And that's fine. This is the way the world is, and I have to accept it. But I completely reject the concept of the nobility of Israel. If it were once a dream of a weary people in 1948, that time has long past. It has become something else, where any idealism has been caught in pull of a black hole of national security.