America and Israel: Divisive Politics, Decisive Defense

American political support for Israel has declined to its lowest point in decades. A recent Gallup poll found that for the first time more Americans sympathize with Palestinians than with Israelis. This trend is being driven by the protracted war in Gaza, which resulted in the widespread suffering of the population. Among elected officials, opposition to Israel is mostly isolated to the Democratic party. Congressional Republicans remain staunchly pro-Israel, with a few notable exceptions, but Israel is also taking a beating among certain prominent Republican commentators.

However, the American and Israeli militaries are more closely aligned and integrated than ever before, which is driven by Israel’s military dominance in the region.

Historically, Israel has shared intelligence and technology with America, which is no small thing, since Israel is among the world’s leaders in both. Israel was also a strategic asset for America, whether it was combatting Soviet expansion during the Cold War or fighting Al Qaeda during the war on terror. But the most recent attacks on Iran show that there is a more formal and structured military alliance taking shape.

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Along with the F-22s and carrier strike group comes a host of logistical and support teams who work alongside their Israeli partners. As noted by the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, the Ovda airbase was built to American specifications, which lessens the load on American personnel to adapt.  

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Originally published in RealClearDefense.