Since October 7, 2023, approximately 30,000 missiles and rockets have been fired at Israel.
Missiles have been fired from Iran, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen by different terrorist organizations, individuals, and nations, including Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and others.
By simply staying in place and not fleeing in the face of all these attacks, Israelis have proven their resilience.
As a response to the overwhelming attacks on Israel, J-Street, an organization that claims to be pro-Israel, released a policy statement calling for the reassessment of the US-Israel security relationship.
This reassessment, reminiscent of former US president Gerald Ford’s threats to Israel, called for the United States to phase out direct financial support for arms sales to Israel.
Following J-Street’s advocacy for stopping American military aid to Israel, 40 Democratic senators voted to ban weapons sales to Israel. The votes were a stunning statement to America’s ally, Israel, and to the American pro-Israel community.
A position previously considered to be anti-Israel at best and antisemitic at worst was now being touted as pro-Israel!
The rationale for this vote was explained by a democrat who advocated to stop funding the missile defense system Iron Dome: “The defense system makes Israel more aggressive, confident that it can launch operations without much damage to its own cities.”
In a recent interview, former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said, “No more US military aid or financial assistance from the taxpayers for Israel. You’re a country like all other allies of ours – Japan, South Korea, the Brits, the Germans.
“You’re going to pay full price; you can buy what you want, but you have to abide by the laws that should be it. No more US taxpayer support...
“I was in the room when president Obama’s largest assistance was under president Obama. We did the funding for the Iron Dome. But here, the days of taxpayers subsidizing Israel are over. No more financial aid.”
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine tried to differentiate between offensive and defensive weapons in explanation for his vote.
Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO Halie Soifer, a woman with one of the most challenging jobs in Jewish communal work, tried to spin this position as pro-Israel.
“Both things are true at once,” she said. “You do have an increased number of Democrats who are supporting these resolutions, and you also still continue to have a majority of Democrats who support the US-Israel security relationship.”
This is one of the most anti-Israel positions advocated seriously by lobbyists and voted on by senators. Talking about Iron Dome stats in response to a threat to cut its funding misses the mark.
The point of J-Street’s position and the Democratic vote is that Israel is wicked, and so are a great deal of Americans who support military aid to Israel.
The logic of saying Iron Dome makes Israel more aggressive implies that vulnerable Israeli cities create deterrence; therefore, democrats should arm Hamas with offensive weapons. Iron Dome reduces Israeli aggression by lowering casualties and political pressure to attack with harsher means.
Pre-emptive war is part of a nations self defenes
Distinguishing defensive from offensive weapons is shortsighted. Defending a nation requires striking attackers, ideally before they attack you. J-street and these Democrats offer bulletproof glass while demanding that Israel tolerate endless missile barrages at their children.
Emanuel suggested that cutting off military aid to Israel would align it with America’s relations with other allies who don’t receive military aid. He missed one crucial point, however.
Israel gets $3.8 billion in military aid yearly. Allies like South Korea, Japan, and Germany get no labeled “aid.” Instead, the US spends far more ($100b/year total) stationing 150,000+ troops at 750 overseas bases.
South Korea’s 20,000 American tripwire force alone costs billions more than Israel’s aid, with Americans at risk. Israel hosts no US bases and fewer than 500 soldiers. It’s frightening that Emanuel made such a blatantly anti-Israel statement with a straight face.
This position also requires a great deal of cognitive dissonance. These critics falsely blame Israel for “endless war,” ignoring Hamas’s October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis, Hezbollah’s rocket barrages, and Iran’s missile attacks and proxy funding.
They lay all the blame on Israel. These shortsighted votes signal to American allies worldwide that the US cannot be counted on.
This is a masterclass in political evasion. These people support the Iron Dome while voting to block 1,000-pound bombs and bulldozers.
The message is clear: Jews may defend themselves passively, but using offensive tools to neutralize threats crosses into a forbidden “political agenda.”
It’s revealing that the real obstacle to Middle East peace is portrayed as Israel’s heavy machinery and munitions and not Hamas’s massacre, Hezbollah’s rockets, or Iran’s missiles and proxies. History shows that defensive measures alone have rarely sufficed for the Jewish people.
It’s important to note that the American weapons industry has greatly benefited from military aid to Israel. In return, America gained valuable access to Israeli weapons research and development. A strong, battle-tested Israel enhanced US national security in a volatile region.
Historically, Israel’s repeated victories using American weapons against Soviet and Russian systems further strengthened the reputation and global standing of the US defense industry.
The question must be asked of J-Street and the democrats who voted and supported this vote: Do you have a problem with all foreign aid or just the aid given to America’s most staunch democratic ally in the Middle East?
Every country Israel has conducted military strikes against, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and Tunisia, has either attacked Israel, issued explicit threats of attack, or hosted terrorist groups that planned or executed attacks on Israel. There isn’t one exception in the historical record.
This position vote says a great deal about the US-Israel relationship, but it’s not pro-Israel. It reveals a worldview that tolerates endless rocket attacks on Israeli civilians while condemning Israel for using offensive weapons to stop them.
By supporting Iron Dome yet blocking the tools needed to dismantle the threats, it sends a clear message: Jews may huddle defensively, but they must never fight back decisively.
This stance ignores the mutual benefits to American security and industry, falsely blames Israel for “endless war,” and weakens a vital democratic ally.
The writer is a certified interfaith hospice chaplain in Jerusalem and the mayor of Mitzpe Yeriho.