Which ever way it's been turned, nobody is asking us anyways.
I'm not so sure if "we need them there" was the actual intent in the first place.
Now, certainly.

On the day of the 9-11 attacks, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was asked what the attacks would mean for US-Israeli relations. His quick reply was: "It's very good…….Well, it's not good, but it will generate immediate sympathy (for Israel)"

Yet, I think they need us there more than the other way around, as far as influence goes:

On October 3, 2001, I.A.P. News reported that according to Israel Radio (in Hebrew) Kol Yisrael an acrimonious argument erupted during the Israeli cabinet session last week between Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his foreign Minister Shimon Peres. Peres warned Sharon that refusing to heed incessant American requests for a cease-fire with the Palestinians would endanger Israeli interests and "turn the US against us. "Sharon reportedly yelled at Peres, saying "don't worry about American pressure, we the Jewish people control America."

You wouldn't want to argue with the late Ariel Sharon on that one

More here:
http://www.mediamonitors.net/khodr49.html

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