Israeli Perspective - Israel-US Relations
Full Disclosure - this is not a political post. It's just important for me to reflect on the situation as I see it. I don't expect many to read this, but it's important for those close to me here to share in my feelings.
Before:
I was 4 years old during the 9/11 attacks. Some of my earliest memories from that age are of that terrible day and the days that followed.
I remember seeing my mother crying while watching TV. My father, whom I had never seen sad before, came home from work earlier than usual with a look on his face that I'll never forget. They hugged and cried together. When I asked my father why they were sad, he answered, "Bad people hurt our family".
In the days that followed, Israel wasn't the same. People didn't go to work. Entertainment venues closed. American flags were hung in homes. Everyone was in complete depression. Israelis were in mourning.
I remember not understanding what was happening and why people were so sad. After all, Israel wasn't attacked, and many Israelis, including my family, didn't have a direct connection with Americans. It took me years to understand the background.
True Friendship:
People don't realize how much Israelis love the US. For us, it's the best country in the world. It's about much more than military and economic power; it's the values and actions the US has instilled in the world that make modern life so good for us. It's not taken for granted.
Americans, beyond political interests, saw Jews as direct partners in their values, working together to promote the prosperity of both nations. Israel never forgets that the US gave Holocaust survivors another chance and was the first to recognize the existence of the state. The 9/11 attacks felt to many Israelis like a severe blow to those they saw as God's emissaries.
Yes, there have been times when Israel and the US didn't agree, but the strong bond never disappeared, and in my opinion, it’s the most wonderful and special relationship in the modern era.
After:
On Oct 7th, Israel experienced the most brutal terrorist attack imaginable when Palestinians entered and murdered, raped, burned, and kidnapped everything in sight. Israel took a severe hit. The sense of sadness and anger was something I will never forget.
Even though there was no real existential threat to Israel, Israelis were so shocked that it seemed the state's existence had come to an end. Israelis longed for someone to tell them everything would be okay, and all eyes turned to the US.
It's important to note that many Israelis don't like Biden and see him as Obama's successor, who is perceived as unfriendly to the Jewish people. Yet, no Israeli will forget Biden's response speech to the Oct 7th attack.
Every Israeli had tears in their eyes – Biden made us feel like someone was protecting us. Israelis, his supporters and detractors alike, thanked and cheered him. For a moment, it seemed like he was the most pro-Israel president the US ever had, until he wasn’t.
A few months into the war, President Biden not only completely abandoned Israel, but he also abandoned American Jews. He delayed arms shipments, undermined the capabilities of the IDF, interfered in Israeli politics, and worst of all, acted against American values.
Why? Because he wants to appease a few Marxist, anti-Western voices. For us, it's a matter of life and death, but for him, it's a matter of politics. Apparently, Biden doesn't care as much as we did on 9/11.
Something That Bothers Me:
The average American and Israeli probably don't think about this, but quietly, we're in the midst of the biggest trust crisis in Israel-US relations. Biden's behavior has quickly led Israelis to simply not trust the US.
Moreover, Biden's inability to deal with anti-Western and anti-Semitic elements creates the impression that they constitute a majority among the American population.
Because of all this, Israelis feel betrayed and scared, and the mistaken opinion that Americans don't really care about the State of Israel is growing. This mistaken opinion is felt in all areas, and we can already see very strong elements in Israel reacting directly to this.
And it's not good.
It's not good because the future geopolitical landscape requires both sides to maintain a very strong bond.
It's not good because it's one of the main goals of their mutual enemies.
It's not good because it opens the door to reduced mutual prosperity.
It feels bad. I hope I'm wrong.
Full Disclosure - this is not a political post. It's just important for me to reflect on the situation as I see it. I don't expect many to read this, but it's important for those close to me here to share in my feelings.
Before:
I was 4 years old during the 9/11 attacks. Some of my earliest memories from that age are of that terrible day and the days that followed.
I remember seeing my mother crying while watching TV. My father, whom I had never seen sad before, came home from work earlier than usual with a look on his face that I'll never forget. They hugged and cried together. When I asked my father why they were sad, he answered, "Bad people hurt our family".
In the days that followed, Israel wasn't the same. People didn't go to work. Entertainment venues closed. American flags were hung in homes. Everyone was in complete depression. Israelis were in mourning.
I remember not understanding what was happening and why people were so sad. After all, Israel wasn't attacked, and many Israelis, including my family, didn't have a direct connection with Americans. It took me years to understand the background.
True Friendship:
People don't realize how much Israelis love the US. For us, it's the best country in the world. It's about much more than military and economic power; it's the values and actions the US has instilled in the world that make modern life so good for us. It's not taken for granted.
Americans, beyond political interests, saw Jews as direct partners in their values, working together to promote the prosperity of both nations. Israel never forgets that the US gave Holocaust survivors another chance and was the first to recognize the existence of the state. The 9/11 attacks felt to many Israelis like a severe blow to those they saw as God's emissaries.
Yes, there have been times when Israel and the US didn't agree, but the strong bond never disappeared, and in my opinion, it’s the most wonderful and special relationship in the modern era.
After:
On Oct 7th, Israel experienced the most brutal terrorist attack imaginable when Palestinians entered and murdered, raped, burned, and kidnapped everything in sight. Israel took a severe hit. The sense of sadness and anger was something I will never forget.
Even though there was no real existential threat to Israel, Israelis were so shocked that it seemed the state's existence had come to an end. Israelis longed for someone to tell them everything would be okay, and all eyes turned to the US.
It's important to note that many Israelis don't like Biden and see him as Obama's successor, who is perceived as unfriendly to the Jewish people. Yet, no Israeli will forget Biden's response speech to the Oct 7th attack.
Every Israeli had tears in their eyes – Biden made us feel like someone was protecting us. Israelis, his supporters and detractors alike, thanked and cheered him. For a moment, it seemed like he was the most pro-Israel president the US ever had, until he wasn’t.
A few months into the war, President Biden not only completely abandoned Israel, but he also abandoned American Jews. He delayed arms shipments, undermined the capabilities of the IDF, interfered in Israeli politics, and worst of all, acted against American values.
Why? Because he wants to appease a few Marxist, anti-Western voices. For us, it's a matter of life and death, but for him, it's a matter of politics. Apparently, Biden doesn't care as much as we did on 9/11.
Something That Bothers Me:
The average American and Israeli probably don't think about this, but quietly, we're in the midst of the biggest trust crisis in Israel-US relations. Biden's behavior has quickly led Israelis to simply not trust the US.
Moreover, Biden's inability to deal with anti-Western and anti-Semitic elements creates the impression that they constitute a majority among the American population.
Because of all this, Israelis feel betrayed and scared, and the mistaken opinion that Americans don't really care about the State of Israel is growing. This mistaken opinion is felt in all areas, and we can already see very strong elements in Israel reacting directly to this.
And it's not good.
It's not good because the future geopolitical landscape requires both sides to maintain a very strong bond.
It's not good because it's one of the main goals of their mutual enemies.
It's not good because it opens the door to reduced mutual prosperity.
It feels bad. I hope I'm wrong.
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