Thank you, America, but Israel cannot take your support for granted - opinion

Israel was born many years later. In 1948, the Jewish community in Palestine declared its independence. A small community, comprising only one-third of the country’s population, mobilized all its resources and followed America’s example. It, too, sought independence, sought to free itself from British rule – under somewhat different circumstances – and sought to return to the land of its ancestors, where it had twice enjoyed political sovereignty and twice lost it.

From that moment on, the older sister became closely connected to the younger one. The distance of 9,100 km. from America’s East Coast and 12,000 km. from its West Coast did nothing to diminish the closeness between the two countries. Their alliance became a major force in international politics, in the Middle East, and, of course, in the history of the State of Israel.

This may not be a question of life or death, but it is impossible to tell the story of the State of Israel without the United States. The relationship has experienced its ups and downs, but it grew especially strong through Israel’s wars, particularly the 1967 Six Day War, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, and, of course, following Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.

It is a rare diplomatic love story in history.

It is impossible to separate this Israeli-American story from its Jewish component; more precisely, from the American Jewish community. During Israel’s struggle for independence, the Jewish community in the United States stood firmly alongside Israel, mobilizing its full political and economic strength. It wrote a remarkable chapter in the history of political and financial support for the Jewish state.

The American Jewish community was born in the New World when 23 Sephardic Jews arrived in New Amsterdam – later New York – in 1654.

These early settlers were Sephardic Jews, but the great wave of Jewish immigration came in the 19th and 20th centuries. Jews from Germany, and later from Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and elsewhere, set out in search of a new land – open, welcoming, and full of economic opportunity.

This did not happen by chance. These immigrants demonstrated extraordinary initiative, ambition, and creativity. Over the decades, and continuing to this day, no community has left a deeper imprint on American culture, creativity, commerce, and business than the Jewish community.

There is no comparable success story in Jewish history.

This combination, this unique equation, became a powerful engine that contributed immeasurably to the State of Israel.

On one side stood Jewish solidarity, rooted in a profound sense of shared peoplehood. On the other stood the broader American public, and especially its leadership, who viewed Israel as an example of a young liberal democracy flourishing in the heart of a hostile, turbulent, and largely underdeveloped region (at least then; not today).

All of these factors, and many others beyond them, have been central and indispensable to the very existence of the State of Israel.

We need to keep these realities in mind when we look at the present state of this triangular relationship and ask, quite legitimately: Will the future resemble the past? Will this reality endure?

These are important questions, because the support that has stood the test of time so remarkably cannot be taken for granted. It requires nurturing. It requires investment. And at this moment, it is at risk.

We would do well to understand that.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center, one of America’s most respected research institutions, indicates that Israel’s standing in global public opinion is at its lowest point. According to the survey, 67% of respondents across dozens of countries – two-thirds of those surveyed – hold a negative view of Israel.

In the United States, the situation is only slightly better. Approximately 60% of Americans now hold a negative opinion of Israel, and 59% express little or no confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In most countries surveyed, opposition to Israel has increased; in the United States alone, negative views have risen by six percentage points since the previous survey.

These findings join a growing body of research conducted in recent years, particularly since October 7, pointing to a sharp decline in support for Israel.

Moreover, signs of fracture are becoming visible within the Jewish community itself, especially among younger generations – the leaders of tomorrow. Many young Jewish men and women are increasingly critical of Israeli policies. Some accept accusations that Israel practices apartheid or even genocide, and their attitude toward Israel ranges from skepticism to outright hostility. Among their parents’ generation, support has also declined, though less dramatically.

Yet we must look ahead and ask: what will happen when this younger generation assumes positions of leadership and influence?

A growing number of Democrats, including elected officials, have become critical of Israel. Recently, Israel has benefited largely from the support of the administration and Republican lawmakers.

AIPAC, the cornerstone of pro-Israel advocacy in the United States for decades, is increasingly concerned about which candidates to support in upcoming elections, fearing a future in which a growing number of members of Congress and the Senate may be reluctant to express open support for Israel.

We have never seen circumstances quite like these.

All of this, of course, intersects with Trump. So much has already been written about him that I can add little. I will say only this: when he allows himself to speak dismissively about Israel’s president or prime minister, and declare that Israel will “do as it is told,” he does so because he believes he is reflecting sentiments that are increasingly present among both the broader American public and parts of the American Jewish community.

So here we are: 250 years of America, 78 years of Israel. Is America lost to us?

The answer is no – absolutely not.

First, it is important to recognize, from a historical perspective, that relationships experience ups and downs. Change and upheaval are part of the human story. Beyond that, I firmly believe that the foundations of the special relationship between Israel and the United States still exist. They have weakened, they are under threat, but they remain intact.

Not all of the challenges stem from Israel’s own shortcomings. Arab financial resources are increasingly influential, and Arab political and cultural influence in the United States continues to grow, reaching deeply into academia, politics, and the business world. Yet we, too, know how to make our case, and American Jews remain our loyal partners.

A little more than three years ago, while serving as Israel’s Diaspora affairs minister, I became aware of these emerging trends, though they were not yet as severe as they are today. I met with then-foreign minister Yair Lapid and proposed the establishment of a special inter-ministerial task force dedicated to designing a new strategy for US-Israel relations.

Its mission would be to define updated goals, analyze the changing realities in America and around the world, and recommend new approaches.

“This is a national mission, and it has fallen to us,” I told him.

Lapid nodded in agreement. He knew I was right. But the task force was never established, and that was a mistake. We lost valuable years.

Today, the mission is more urgent than ever.

We stand at a critical crossroads in US-Israel relations. The next Israeli government – hopefully a government of change – must rebuild and renew these ties. It will be one of its first and most important challenges. And it can be done.

Above all, I almost forgot – though not really: thank you, America. A heartfelt thank you.■