Feeling Smarter

I remember as a young chap, asking my dad to try and explain to me why the middle east was always such a hotbed of violence. I'm sure you've all receive the same dumbed down response - "They always been fightin' and they always will be fightin'." Needless to say, I've never had much of a historical perspective of why things are the way they are over there, until now. I do like the snippet of history this book provides. Sort of a Cliffs Notes version of what events have lead us to the current state of affairs. But... can anyone help me with this question?

Why does pretty much everyone but the US hate Israel?

I don't understand it. Maybe I am just too naive to believe that it is simply over religion. Can there really be such constant animosity over religious difference? It doesn't seem to make sense to me. It may be the case however. I just really want to know what the answer is. I have a tendency to think that things are more complicated than they are. Am I over thinking this?

I don't get the feeling that Rosenberg is trying to stir up fear. Maybe that's me being simple again. I almost get the sense from him that he isn't trying to convince anyone what is going to happen, but how and even when. He definitely comes off confident, but I guess he has the resume to back that up. He seems so sure that these things will come to fruition that he doesn't come across as alarmist, more like he is providing commentary on things that have already happened.

Oh, Russia is starting to scare me more. I guess I didn't fully understand just how imperialistic their heritage is, and their current leaders seem to continue to be. The world seems to have come to an agreement that everything has been conquered and that it is no longer cool to "expand" your empire. Russia doesn't seem to agree. It's too bad everyone feels that way, it would be cool if the US decided we wanted to "claim" Fiji.