Has US Policies Towards Israel Helped or Hurt US Interests?

 

Has US Policies Towards Israel Helped or Hurt US Interests?

Through recent Republican and Democratic administrations, the US has backed Israel and supplied state-of-the-art weapon systems that Jewish state. We were the first nation to recognize Israel as an independent nation back in 1948, literally 11 minutes after the announcement of independence. But, because Israel was a new force on the planet, having occupied Palestinian lands (as most locals fled) even against British control, the US initially tiptoed in support of that new country. “During the 1950s and early 1960s, U.S. policy towards Israel was characterized by a balance between supporting Israel and maintaining good relations with Arab countries. The U.S. provided economic aid to Israel but was careful about military support to avoid escalating regional tensions…

“The Six-Day War in 1967 [the first of several wars and internal conflicts] was a turning point in U.S.-Israel relations. Following Israel’s rapid victory and territorial gains, the U.S. recognized the strategic value of Israel as a stable ally in a volatile region. This period saw significant increases in U.S. military aid and cooperation, marking the beginning of the U.S. commitment to maintain Israel’s ‘qualitative military edge’ over its neighbors.

“In 1978, the U.S. facilitated the Camp David Accords, a peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. This achievement not only marked the first time an Arab country recognized Israel but also solidified the role of the U.S. as a key mediator in Middle Eastern peace processes… The 1980s witnessed further consolidation of the alliance, particularly under the Reagan administration, which saw Israel as a crucial ally against Soviet influence in the Middle East.” World History Edu, May 9, 2024. As time passed, relations between the two nations strengthened. Israel relied on us for economic and military support, and the US benefited from Israeli technological advances and its advanced intelligence network across the Arab world; mainly the Mossad (Israeli intelligence, which fielded as extraordinary network of spies).

As regional tensions lessened over time, the US brokered several key negotiations, including the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, which aimed to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by officially recognizing a two-state solution (supporting the need for an autonomous Palestinian state). Despite ups and downs in the peace process, the U.S. has remained a steadfast supporter of Israel’s right to security. Yet the United States’ invasion of Iraq and imposition of a “democratic” form of government seemed logical, the result was a corrupt regime and elevation of Iran (a natural Shiite partner to a mostly Shiite Iraq) to the most import nation in the rest of the Middle East. Iran hated, and I do mean hated, both Isreal and the United States that had supported the Pahlavi monarchy that was overthrown in 1979 and replaced with the theocracy we see today. The result, over time, is the mess we see today… as Iran funded surrogates (e.g., Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, etc.), increasing power (and a close relationship with Russia), Iran pressed their animus against the United States and its perceived surrogate (Israel).

Donald Trump changed US policy, bowing to pressures from Zionist American Jews (viewed supporting Israel as an essential part of Judaism), became Israeli PM Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu’s (under a cloud of a criminal prosecution for bribery) best friend. Trump accepted the demise of the two-state solution, recognizing Jerusalem as the new capital of Israel No longer an open city) and generally sided with Netanyahu across the board. He actively supported Netanyahu’s political campaigns. See the above poster.

Meanwhile, Trump was able to open relations with most of the Muslim monarchies in the region, using those relationships to deescalate any remaining tensions with Israel. When Hamas military irregulars, from Gaza, attacked northern Israel and took hostages in an unprovoked outrageous, brutal carnage against innocent civilians on October 7, 2023, the US condemned that assault and, under the Biden administration, upped its supply of weapons to Israel as that nation mounted a war against Hamas… one that led to what many considered to be an excessive retaliation against Palestinians who were not Hamas supporters living in their midst.

The international community slowly reacted to Israel’s escalating violence in Gaza (second picture above), resulting in the following: “On 21 November 2024, following an investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the International Criminal Court (ICC) [which the US does not recognize] issued arrest warrants for two senior Israeli officials, Benjamin Netanyahu… and Yoav Gallant, the former Minister of Defense of Israel, alleging responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza war.” Wikipedia. Several Hamas leaders were also so indicted. As starvation and destruction in Gaza escalated, an increasing international chorus of “stop the genocide” echoed across the world, leading several US allies to begin to agree to recognize “Palestine” as an independent state, worthy of full recognition by the United Nations. Israel doubled down… with Trump’s support.

After a modest success generated by the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites, Israel escalated its commitment to annihilate the entire Hamas leadership. Qatar has been the moderating medium for Israel and Hamas at least to secure the release of hostages and initiate a ceasefire. Hamas had an office in Qatar’s capital, Doha, a necessity if a peace could be achieved. But on September 10th, with last minute notification to the US, Israel attacked a quiet residential neighborhood in Doha, where a small Hamas contingent was residing, apparently killing 5 lower-level Hamas operatives and a local security guard. The 3rd photo above. The world was outraged. Even Trump was disappointed. Israel’s effort effectively sabotaged the peace process. But the cost to the United States was profound. That attack put into question whether these regional Arab states, especially the key mediator in the region (Qatar), gain anything from improved relations with the US.

The US has had major military bases in Arab nations, including Qatar, for a few years. Writing for the September 12th Los Angeles Times, Nabih Bulos presents how this Israeli action has undermined decades of US efforts to build regional ties: “For years, Persian Gulf nations staked their defense on one thing above all: a U.S.-supplied security umbrella, paid for with tens of billions of their petrodollars and agreements that allowed the U.S. to dot the Middle East with some of its largest military facilities… The thinking was that being users of U.S. weaponry and having a U.S. military presence was a virtual guarantee of protection if enemies came to call…

“But whether the [Israeli] targeting succeeded is irrelevant to Gulf leaders pondering the effectiveness of decades-old security arrangements with the U.S… ‘The message to the region appears to be, ‘If you think close ties with and major military support for Washington provides protection … think again,’ ’ said Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute… ‘They’re all vulnerable to attack by larger and more powerful neighbors, and they expect a commitment that helping the U.S. militarily comes with a certain degree of protection. It clearly doesn’t,’ he said.” Regardless of Trump’s expression of displeasure at the attack on Doha, that the US has been the major external supplier of weapons to Israel is increasingly globally holding the United States as a co-conspirator to Israeli excesses.

I’m Peter Dekom, and as essential and precious as major Jewish politicians, religious leaders, business executives, jurists and scientists have been for the United States, the notion that Jews must conflate support of Israel, regardless of its actions, as an essential part of Judaism, must end… as I believe the morality of the Torah truly requires.