Osama bin Laden explicitly stated that the US support for Israel against Palestine was the primary reason for the 9/11 attacks. Likewise, troubled relations with Iran emerge largely from US alignment with Israel. Iran has made several attempts to neutralize relations with the US in the mid-90s when Clinton was the president but Israel intervened decisively.
Recent situation in the Middle East is the evidence of this. Israel bombing in Lebanon, pressuring Hezbollah to promise rearmament, whereas Syria is in turmoil. Israel is planning for strikes in Iran, which could push the US into another conflict. In Gaza, genocide has been done but pause for a while, but ethnic cleansing is going in the West Bank.
If the US was using Israel only for its own strategic purposes, there would be no lobby. The existence of a powerful lobby sheds light that Israel’s actions often do not reflect the US priorities. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee or AIPAC, who is very close to the Israeli government, exercises strong influence over Congress, the media, and academia through significant fundraising and advocacy efforts. All US senators and representatives support Israel unequivocally, often received campaign contributions from pro-Israel lobbies.
The lobbying efforts enable the Israeli government to secure unconditional US support, regardless of what Israel is doing. One might question whether such unwavering backing would be extended to a regime like Nazi Germany, given Israel’s ongoing policies. Major human rights organizations, including Israel’s leading group B’Tselem, have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza is genocide. Equally, a United Nations commission also confirmed that whatever is been done in Gaza fulfil the criteria for genocide.
Still, the US and Europe support Israel, making them violators. It is important that the US evaluate its foreign policy to align with the broader American interests and global human rights.
