So why is Israel our buddy?

[craniumsoftener]

Israel does not have lots of oil. It does not produce much. It is very small. It is fully of religious nuts. It constantly makes World War III seem possible. It unifies the Arab world against the US. It treats non-Jewish citizens as a lower status than its Jewish citizens, highly undemocratic.
Are we helping them only because of the powerful Jewish lobby in the US? Surely that's part of it, but is it all of it? I'm really tired of Israel.