Why? Why should we be ashamed to say that we want to protect our only real ally in the Middle East? I'm tired of the European/U.N. relativist view which says that Israel is no different, or is worse, than the other countries in the Middle East.
It could be harmful because it feeds a lunatic, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.
Why should we be ashamed to say that we want to protect our only real ally in the Middle East?
We shouldn't but that is a really weird interpretation of the events in question. To be clear here: Iraq was neither the main enemy of Israel nor a comparatively serious threat to Israel at the time. Israel was, and is, threatened far more by Syria directly (and through Lebanon), and by Iran indirectly, than by Iraq. If Protecting Israel had really been a major motive of ours, "Let's invade Iraq!" was simply not a very good or efficient way of going about it. It's just a weird thing to say. Country A invades Country B and you say it's about Country Z. Weird.
Unless you have real evidence, of course. But failing that, all you end up doing is feeding a lunatic, anti-Semitic conspiracy theory - and anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists have no problem whatsoever believing weird things.