Many young Americans on both sides of the aisle have shocked the establishment political class with a lack of support for Israel as our ally. For Gen Z liberals, it seems to be related to a pro-Hamas stance, which students picked up at leftist universities funded by Qatar and other global trouble makers. For young conservatives, it stems from years of social and economic decay at home while watching forever wars in the Middle East rack up a hefty price tag along with veteran injuries. It also stems from a recent wave of hardline isolationist online conservative influencers who espouse conspiracy theories about Israel, the Mossad, and US political scandals like the Jeffrey Epstein files.
Are young conservatives right to question America’s extensive support for Israel?
The answer is complicated since foreign policy is forever changing, and all allies have to be reevaluated for strategic value. I do think young conservatives have a right to question the motivations of some U.S. representatives who have made being an ally of Israel their platform issue. And lobbying organizations like AIPAC certainly make things more complicated when it comes to campaign funding. But, I believe that young conservatives are being misled by some online influencers who promote isolationism without having any knowledge of the real-world consequences. We should hold our elected officials accountable to ensure they are acting with the best interests of the American people first and foremost, but that encompasses many more important things besides promoting allyship with Israel. And honestly, if we had our priorities right, there wouldn’t be time to worry about that. We have elected officials who have allowed Chinese investment in single family housing across America making it so that our generation can’t afford housing, we have elected officials who are fighting for the rights of illegal immigrants over US citizens to keep their NGO grift going, and we even have elected officials who supported a coup against the sitting President of the United States. Is AIPAC lobbying the most ethical practice? Probably not, but we have a country to save first, and I believe our time is better spent on securing an affordable future for our generation than worrying about the minuscule amount of foreign defense spending that goes to Israel. In reality, that money would just be reappropriated towards another potentially less friendly ally anyway. It is nearly impossible to get enough political capital to cut defense spending in Washington, D.C., so the money and weapons that go towards Israel would never find their way back into the average American's pocket.
And suppose we do want to evaluate our allyship with Israel and weigh the benefits against the current state of affairs (which I am sure there are people at the State Dept. who are paid to do just that). In that case, it is clear that Israel still remains a strategic and supportive friend of the US. Beyond being a base and military partner for the US in the Middle Eastern conflict, because hopefully we are done with the era of forever wars and Middle Eastern nation-building, Israel still provides extensive value to the US as a strategic partner. The Abraham Accords, a series of agreements facilitated by President Trump in his first administration, and maintained by Israel, have brought unprecedented stability to the region, allowing the US to draw down troops throughout the Middle East. The Abraham Accords and other US-Israel dialogues and agreements with the Arab states have also facilitated a growing pushback against the status quo of harboring terrorists in the region. For example, countries like Lebanon are fighting to kick Hezbollah out and take back their nation. They do this with the support of Israel, not US troops, which is a win for us. When Israel and the US present a strong partnership to the world, it enables Israel to lead in the Middle East as a security partner against terrorism without the US having to get troops on the ground. US support gives Israel the backing and protection it needs to stop terrorism throughout the region, which firstly promotes stability and prevents conflict from escalating, and secondly keeps the terrorists weak enough that they never reach American shores like they did on 9/11. These are key national security goals that are strategic, cost-effective, and save American lives. America is not the world’s policeman, and rather than promoting isolationism, we should be promoting and empowering regional leaders to take responsibility for the security of their neck of the woods. That is exactly what we are doing when we maintain a strong allyship with Israel. The Middle East has nothing to do with the average American, but for Israelis, they have a real stake in promoting stability and prosperity throughout the region they call home, and luckily, they are an American ally who shares our ideals for individual freedoms. However, I think the disconnect for young Americans comes when politicians talk about Israel as a great friend, and don’t acknowledge the cultural and political differences that Israel, being a foreign nation, has from the US. This doesn’t make Israel the bad guy, but it’s important to acknowledge nuance when discussing a foreign country in a completely different part of the world.
Ultimately, the U.S.-Israel relationship, primarily through initiatives like the Abraham Accords, promotes regional stability, counters terrorism, and reduces the need for American military intervention. Although acknowledging differences between the two nations is important, the strong alliance with Israel remains a pragmatic choice for American interests and can’t be effectively replaced with isolationist policies. Politicians should, however, adjust the way they talk about the alliance with Israel, and remember that their first and most important duty is representing American citizens who elected them.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member