I don't think Israel will wait for Iran to launch first.  If Israel has any hint of an attack from Iran, they will strike first.

The State of Israel may be our ally, but Israelis are not our boon friends.  The Christian community has declined sharply since the State of Israel was founded - I'm not talking about Evangelicals, I'm talking about historical Christians who have been there for many, many centuries.  Non-Jews in Israel are treated as second-class citizens, whether you be Muslim or Christian.

I've spoken to several persons who have visited the Holy Land, and to a person they say they don't entirely trust the Israelis, who don't want us (Christians) there, pilgrims or otherwise.  The word is that the Israelis are not very excited about our presence there.

I also believe it was during the Suez Crisis (?) that the Israeli Air Force/Navy attacked the USS Liberty (?), which was monitoring the conflict.  Attempts by the American ship to identify itself were ignored as attacks continued, and the identifying marks were visible to the Israelis who attacked up close, not from miles away.  When distress calls were sent to other American ships, the signals were jammed.  Sailors in the water were gunned down in an attempt to cover up the "mistake".  There are several books about the incident, and a friend wrote his thesis on the incident.

If the Israelis are Gods Chosen People, they hardly need us, and they have nukes to boot.  I agree with a prior post -- let them fight it out and we'll take care of our own.