Why do you feel that Israel is a friend of the U.S.?

1) Stealing "state secrets" from the U.S.: every country has the right to conduct surveillance of other countries. That's how it's done in this day and age.

2) UN Security Council resolutions: frankly, I don't blame Israel one bit for not abiding by the UN Security Council's opinions on how they should run their country. The UN Security Council is Russia's puppet anyway. And Russia HATES Israel.

3) The USS Liberty incident was a mistake during a time of war. Israel contacted the US ***FIRST*** to admit its mistake and apologize.

4) WRONG. They are bombed FIRST. They enter into peace agreements with Hamas and still the bombs come from "Palestine." When Israel gets fed up, they retaliate -- like ANY OTHER COUNTRY would do.

I think the articles you've given links to are a bit one-sided, though there is some truth in them but not all...and a half truth is a whole lie.

Hardly indiscriminately, it is the Muslim Hamas that has continued daily for a few years now to throw missiles into Israel...if I were to come to your place every day and shoot at your family and you, how long would it be before you took action against me?

Not long, I'd bet.

So how is Israel not justified in defending itself?

As for the settlements, do they not have the right to build? I would think that they would.

I don't, I think that Israel is an aggressor in its war against Palestinians (civilians mainly)