US Support for Israel

The United States was one of the first nations to recognize the creation of Israel lending its official support 11 minutes after the founding of the Jewish state in 1948.  Since then, the U.S. has maintained a close relationship with the country supplying it with more than $3 billion in economic aid every year. In fact, Israel has received more direct aid from the United States since World War II than any other country.

Reasons:

  • Holocaust Guilt
  • Democracy
  • Cold War Containment
  • Military presence in the Middle East
  • Christian Lobby
  • Jewish Lobby
  • Joint Interests
  • Historical Similarities
  • Arab aggression
  • Oil
  • Humanitarian Aid

1) Holocaust

During and after World War II the United States was forced to turn away Jews fleeing Nazi Germany and survivors of the Holocaust.  By supporting the state of Israel, the United States (led by president Harry Truman) was endorsing a refuge for displaced Jews. 

2) Democracy

The United States wanted to support the only functioning democracy in the Middle East a region dominated by authoritarian and military regimes. Israel also upholds Western ideals of freedom of expression, women's rights, free market economy, judicial review etc. 

3) Cold War Containment

U.S. foreign policy throughout the 1950s was primarily shaped by the effort to contain communism.  While the Arab states were playing the superpowers (USSR and US) against each other, Israel maintained its allegiance to the West.  According to the 1957 Eisenhower Doctrine, the United States was committed to aiding any state threatened by international communism.

4) Military Presence

Israel's formidable military and its cache of modern military materiel is valuable to America in the event the U.S. ever needs to respond quickly to a future Middle East conflict. 

5) Christian Lobby

Evangelical Christians believe that the return of the Jews to Israel was prophesied in the Bible and signals the dawn of the coming Messianic age. The book of Genesis also says that God will bless those who bless the Jews and curse those who curse the Jews.  “He who blesses thee, I will bless; he who curses thee, I will curse” (Genesis 12:3.)

Like the religious Jews, Christian Zionists base their support for Israel on some of the following biblical passages:

  • God bequeathed the Land of Canaan to Abraham and his descendents (Genesis 13:14-18).
  • The God who exiled the Jewish People on two occasions- 586 B.C. and 70 A.D.- has always promised to bring them back and restore their fortunes (Jeremiah 31:10 and Isaiah 11:11).
  • Jesus spoke of the scattering and latter-day regathering of the Jewish people (Luke 21:23-24).
  • Jesus said that the modern-day restoration of the State of Israel is not a political accident, or merely the result of a secular, political, Zionist movement, but rather the fulfillment of God's own Word
  • Biblical calls to support Israel (Genesis 12:3), comfort Israel (Isaiah 40:1-2) and pray for her peace (Psalm 122:6; Isaiah 62:6-7)
  • the role that God has given to Israel (Isaiah 60:1-3)
  • Zechariah 14:1-21 - Jerusalem after the return of Jesus
  • The Scriptures speak everywhere of this soon-coming age and always in the context of it being preceded by a return of Israel to the Land of their forefathers (Joel 4:18-21).
  • Great "birth pangs" will shake the Middle East as the forces of darkness attempt to frustrate the coming of the age of righteousness. Because of this, God needs "all hands on deck" in order to outrun the storm (Isaiah 62:6-7)
  • Heralds the dawn of a soon-coming Messianic age

6) Jewish Lobby

7) Joint Interests

The U.S. and Israel have worked together on a number of missions that served both nations: curtailing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (Israel damaged Iraq's Osirik reactor in 1981 for example), battling state-sponsored terrorism, curbing the spread of Islamic radicalism etc.

The U.S. and Israel also share information on cutting-edge technology in medical research, weapons development, agricultural innovations and other cultural exchanges. Both nations also share valuable intelligence and coordinate anti-terrorism strategies.  

8) Historical Similarities

Both America and Israel are self-made nations that have displaced an indigenous population (Arabs and native Americans). 

9) Arab Aggression

10) Oil

Middle East oil reserves were critical to the economies of Western Europe and the U.S.

11) Humanitarian Aid

 

 

 

 

 
 
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