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| Joe Biden holds his stance on Israel. |
So, why wouldn’t the US support them? Supporters
of Palestine find the question offensive too because they see Israel’s current
policies as oppressive and endangerment to both Palestinians and their land.
So, why would the US support them? , both questions are valid, and we can’t
know exactly why US leadership holds their stance on Israel, but I can explain
how the US began sending billions of dollars in aid to Israel, and why that the policy still stands?
First off, the US didn’t always support Israel. They sent some humanitarian aid right after World War Two, but that wasn’t seen as preferential treatment, nor was it particularly uncommon. This is important to note because in the aftermath of World War Two, clear alliances weren’t yet established, and the US wanted to be perceived by the Middle East as fair and impartial. A strategy that was working...until the generally anti-western Arab Nationalist Movement gained momentum, and the USSR started courting Arab nations. This was during the Cold War, a period in which the USSR and the US were competing for ideological influence over almost every region on Earth. To remain relevant in the Middle East, the US set out to establish closer ties with Israel, because Israel was already a democracy with strong anti-communist leanings.
The US wanted to establish Israel as a bulwark
against the communist influence and a partner for their intelligence and military
operations. As such, it was in the United States' best interest to make Israel
as strong and stable as possible. Since then, the threat has changed but not
the arrangement. The US still supports a strong and stable Israel, but the
country is no longer a bulwark against the spread of communism. It is now seen
as a bulwark against the spread of Muslim Extremist Ideals, like those shared
by Al Qaeda and ISIS. Which Israel does do, but that is still not the reason
for continued attention to Israel.
The real reason is popular support. , foreign aid to Israel was seen as anti-communist, a popular idea among Americans. Now foreign aid to Israel is seen as protection for Israel from hostile neighbors and the Muslim world in general. After 9/11, around 55% of all Americans supported Israel, whereas only 15% supported Palestine, a trend that continues. According to a recent Gallup poll, 80% of Americans supported Israel in their recent conflict with Palestine, while only 18% supported Palestine. The anti-Muslimism sentiment did flare in the US after 9/11 and is on the rise again due to the current war with ISIS. It is likely that some of that support comes out of fear and a poor understanding of the Muslim world. This is the political climate that makes it convenient for Politicians to support Israel. But even that isn’t the whole story. The United States government is slow to change and influenced by religious groups. A movement that tends to stand behind the status quo and is more sympathetic to Israel than the public at large.
So even if popular support did shift closer to
Palestine, inertia alone could keep the US alliance with Israel for some time. If
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