As happens every four years, Israelis, and those who care about Israel, are wondering what the results of yesterday’s election will augur for the country’s most important alliance. Dan Schueftan, while acknowledging important policy differences between the two candidates, argues that the friendship between Israel and the U.S. is built on the firm basis of common values and common interests that transcend the politics of the moment:
Beyond the basic commitments to a democratic regime and individual rights, the ethos shared by the mainstream American public and the Israeli public is one that respects both the individual and the collective. [Neither Americans nor Israelis] recoil from the use of force when necessary. . . . This ethos is considered invalid in Europe and primitive on U.S. campuses, in the media, in “progressive” circles, and among [many liberal American Jews]. Yet without this ethos one would be hard-pressed to explain the deep affinity for Israel among two-thirds of the American public, largely Republicans, but also among Democrats. They see Israel as a democratic, constructive, and desirable force.
From the [geopolitical] standpoint, Israel, situated in one of the most important regions in the world, encompasses important virtues that no other ally does: Israel is strong, stable, responsible, determined, and always pro-American. Israel is the only U.S. ally that does not ask American soldiers to fight its wars. It is militarily, economically, and technologically strong. It is a democracy that has proven its stability even in times of crisis. Its responsibility is reflected in its restraint in the face of the ongoing threats it has faced for generations, the likes of which no democratic country has ever experienced, and in the extreme caution it has exerted in relation to the strategic capabilities attributed to it.
Presidents come and go. Some act in consultation with Israel, while others are for less receptive to its needs. Beyond these important differences, we must remember there exists a strong ethical and strategic framework for deep partnership, one that has survived unfriendly governments in the past.
Read more on Israel Hayom: https://www.israelhayom.com/opinions/a-steadfast-partnership/