The United States has historically supported Israel due to a combination of strategic, ideological, and political reasons, viewing it as a key democratic ally in the Middle East, a crucial partner for intelligence, and a bulwark against regional instability. This, along with strong bipartisan congressional support, robust military aid, and shared, deep-rooted cultural ties, has solidified a “special relationship” since the 1960s. Since the 1960s, the relationship between Israel and the United States has grown into a close alliance in economic, strategic and military aspects. The U.S. has provided strong support for Israel; it has played a key role in the promotion of good relations between Israel and its neighbouring Arab states. In turn, Israel provides a strategic American foothold in the region as well as intelligence and advanced technological partnerships. Relations with Israel are an important factor in the U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid: up to February 2022, the U.S. had provided Israel US$150 billion (non-inflation-adjusted) in assistance. The United States’ first free trade agreement was with Israel, in 1985. In 1999, the U.S. government signed a commitment to provide Israel with at least US$2.7 billion in military aid annually for ten years; in 2009 it was raised to $3 billion; and in 2019 raised to a minimum of US$3.8 billion. Since 1972, the U.S. has also extended loan guarantees to Israel to assist with housing shortages, absorption of new Jewish immigrants and economic recovery.
When did the US start supporting Israel?
From the beginning. Former US President Harry Truman was the first world leader to recognize Israel when it was created in 1948.
Why was Truman so quick to do that?
In part because of personal ties. Truman’s former business partner, Edward Jacobson, played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for the US in recognizing Israel as a state. But there were also strategic considerations driving the decision.
What were the strategic stakes at the time?
This was right after World War II, when the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union was taking shape. The Middle East, with its oil reserves and strategic waterways (think the Suez Canal) was a key battleground for superpower hegemonic influence. The US was taking over from severely weakened European powers as the primary western power broker in the Middle East. But even then, support for Israel was not unequivocal.
So when did it become unequivocal?
That is partly rooted in the aftermath 1967 war in which Israel defeated the poorly led armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan and occupied the rest of historical Palestine – as well as some territory from Syria and Egypt. Since then, the US has acted unequivocally to support Israel’s military superiority in the region and to prevent hostile acts against it by Arab nations.
Were there other developments that played a role?
There was also the 1973 war that ended with Israel defeating Egyptian and Syrian forces. Partly to drive a wedge between Egypt and Syria and thwart Soviet influence, the US used the aftermath of the 1973 war to lay the groundwork for a peace deal between Israel and Egypt that was eventually cemented in 1979.
Has that influenced US aid to Israel?
You bet. Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid in the post-World War II era. In 2016, then-President Barack Obama signed a defense agreement with Israel providing $38bn in US military support over 10 years including funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system. Bear in mind, Israel is not exactly in need of aid. It is a high-income country with a thriving high-tech sector.
Is this all just about practical geostrategic stuff?
Like all things foreign policy-related, public opinion, money – and the influence money buys in politics – have also played a role in US policy towards Israel and the Palestinians.
What role has public opinion played?
American public opinion has long tilted in favour of Israel and against the Palestinians, in part because Israel had a superior PR machine. But headline-grabbing, violent actions by pro-Palestinian groups such as the 1972 Munich Massacre in which 11 Israeli Olympic athletes were killed also generated sympathy for Israel.
Has that sympathy wavered at all?
More Americans are warming to the Palestinian cause, according to an annual survey conducted by Gallup. The February poll found that 25 percent of Americans sympathise more with Palestinians – a 2-percentage-point increase over the previous year and a full six percentage points higher than 2018. Favourable ratings for the Palestinian Authority also hit a new high of 30 percent – a 7-percentage-point improvement over 2020. But Israel still holds far more sway in the court of US public opinion. That same Gallup poll found that 58 percent of Americans sympathise more with Israel, while 75 percent of Americans rate Israel favourably.
What about pro-Israeli political influence?
There are a number of organisations in the US that advocate for US support of Israel. The largest and most politically powerful is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Members of the organisation wield influence through grassroots organising, advocacy and fundraising among American Jews in the US as well as Christian evangelical churches.
How powerful is AIPAC?
AIPAC holds an annual conference in Washington, DC, with about 20,000 attendees that feature personal appearances by top US politicians. Former President Joe Biden and President Donald Trump have made appearances. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also a regular attendee.
Who are some of the US political heavyweights in Israel’s corner?
President Trump, driven by support for Israel from evangelical Christians and a like-minded leader in Netanyahu, was a staunch defender of Israel during his four years in office. Large majorities of the US Congress in the Democratic and Republican parties are avowedly pro-Israel. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer – all Democrats – have long track records of supporting Israel and can be counted on to voice strong support for Israel’s right to self-defence in moments of conflict. When asked last week whether more needed to be done to stop Israel’s assault on Gaza, Pelosi responded: “The fact is that we have a very close relationship with Israel, and Israel’s security is a national security issue for us, as our friend, a democratic country in the region.”
“Hamas is threatening the security of people in Israel. Israel has a right to defend itself,” Pelosi said.
Key reasons for this, which has evolved into a “special relationship” rather than a perfectly consistent one since 1948, include:
Strategic Interests and Geopolitics: Israel serves as a reliable ally that projects power in a key region, helps counter regional adversaries (such as during the Cold War with Soviet-aligned nations), and acts as a conduit for intelligence and technology.
Democratic Alliance: The U.S. often identifies Israel as the only stable democracy in the Middle East, aligning with American values of promoting democratic governance.
Military and Intelligence Cooperation: Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid since World War II. This support ($3.8 billion annually) includes advanced weaponry and collaborative defense projects like the Iron Dome system, which strengthens U.S. defense, technology, and intelligence-gathering efforts.
Domestic Political Support: Strong support from American public opinion, as well as bipartisan, and sometimes bipartisan lobbying, has historically made backing Israel a core element of U.S. foreign policy.
Historical and Cultural Links: The U.S. was the first to recognize Israel in 1948, and the relationship is deepened byshared cultural, ideological, and religious ties. Despite this, the relationship has not always been “rock solid”—such as during the 1956 Suez crisis—and has seen some shifting, especially as public opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has evolved in recent years.
In addition to financial and military aid, the U.S. provides large-scale political support, having used its United Nations Security Council veto power 42 times against resolutions condemning Israel, out of 83 times in which its veto has been used. Between 1991 and 2011, out of the 24 vetoes invoked by the U.S., 15 were used to protect Israel. As of 2021, the United States remains the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to have recognized the Golan Heights as non-occupied Israeli sovereign territory, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and moved its embassy there from Tel Aviv in 2018.[4] Israel is designated by the United States as a major non-NATO ally. Bilateral relations have developed from an early American policy of sympathy and support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to a partnership that connects the United States – a superpower seeking to balance competing interests in the Middle East – with Israel, a small but militarily powerful nation. Late U.S. senator Jesse Helms argued that the military foothold offered by Israel justifies the expense of American military aid, referring to Israel as “America’s aircraft carrier in the Middle East”.
Professor Atanga D. Funwie
President & CEO
Kesmonds Group / Kesmonds International University.
