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Why the US-Israel Alliance Is More Vital Than Ever
An Israeli flag and an American flag fly at Abu Dhabi International Airport before the arrival of Israeli and U.S. officials, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates August 31, 2020. REUTERS/Christoper Pike
When the United States unleashed the GBU-57 “bunker buster” on Iran’s fortified nuclear sites during the recent Middle East conflict, it didn’t just send shockwaves through the Middle East.
Although Trump made it clear that the strike was to serve American interests, and not Israel — many still claimed Trump acted on Israel’s behalf. This reignited an old debate here at home: Why, exactly, is America so committed to Israel?
For critics, the answer is always the same: shadowy influence from pro-Israel lobbying groups, with AIPAC cast as the chief culprit. It’s the same tired script — a blend of conspiracy and double standard — that’s been dusted off for decades with one recent example being the 2003 Iraq War.
But the reality, if we take the time to look, is starkly different: this alliance is one of the most mutually beneficial relationships in US foreign policy. It strengthens US security, boosts the US economy, and reflects hard-earned historical lessons about what happens when the Jewish people are left defenseless.
The Numbers Tell the Story
A 2016 RAND Corporation study found that for every dollar America spends on overseas security commitments, it gains roughly three dollars in economic return. US military alliances aren’t charity — they’re investments. And the US–Israel partnership is a textbook example.
Former CIA leaders have called Israel’s intelligence sharing the equivalent of “having five CIAs” working for us — a force multiplier against threats like Iran’s nuclear program and global terrorism. Israel’s battlefield innovations in counter-terrorism and urban warfare have directly shaped US Special Operations tactics.
Our defense industries benefit, too. Israel’s real-world use of F-16s and F-35s has saved US manufacturers billions in R&D by identifying upgrades and fixes under combat conditions. Joint projects like Iron Dome don’t just protect Israeli civilians — 60–70% of US funding for those systems goes straight into American factories, supporting millions of jobs.
It’s true that AIPAC is a high-profile advocacy organizations in Washington. In the 2023–24 cycle, its Super PAC spent about $37.9 million, and its traditional PAC gave around $3 million directly to candidates. That’s large compared to other diaspora advocacy groups — but it’s neither secretive nor foreign-funded. Every dollar comes from US citizens, and every activity falls within American campaign finance law.
And AIPAC is hardly unique in concept. Armenian-American groups advocate for strong US–Armenia ties. Cuban-American PACs promote pro-democracy policies for Cuba. The difference is scale, not kind — and scale reflects donor engagement and organizational focus, not hidden control.
The Historical Imperative
If the alliance were only about economics and security, it would still be worth defending. But history gives it an even deeper resonance.
The modern Zionist movement took shape in the ashes of antisemitic violence long before the Holocaust. After the assassination of Tsar Alexander II in 1881, Russian Jews endured brutal pogroms and the May Laws, which stripped them of basic rights.
When they tried to flee, the West often slammed its doors. Britain’s 1905 Aliens Act targeted poor Jewish refugees. America’s 1924 Johnson-Reed Act imposed harsh quotas that shut out Eastern European Jews entirely.
By the time the Evian Conference met in 1938, as Nazi persecution intensified, 32 nations expressed sympathy but refused to meaningfully raise immigration quotas. The following year, the MS St. Louis — carrying over 900 Jewish refugees — was turned away by Cuba, the US, and Canada. Many passengers were later murdered in the Holocaust.
Even after 1945, Jewish survivors faced pogroms in Eastern Europe — the Kielce massacre of 1946 being the most infamous. It became clear that without a sovereign state, Jews would always be at the mercy of others’ borders, policies, and prejudices.
Israel in Global Context
The displacement that accompanied Israel’s birth in 1948 was tragic — but it was not unique. In the same post-WWII period, 14.5 million people were displaced during the India–Pakistan partition, and 12 million ethnic Germans were expelled from Eastern Europe. Around 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were expelled during Israel’s War of Independence; somewhat concurrently, roughly 850,000 Jews fled or were expelled from Arab and Muslim countries, most finding refuge in Israel.
Seen in that context, Israel’s founding fits into a broader historical pattern of population transfers aimed at resolving ethnic conflict — not as an unprecedented singular event.
A Partnership of Equals
Some in Israel now question whether US aid — $3.8 billion annually under the current Memorandum of Understanding — comes with too many strings attached. Likud MK Amit Halevi has suggested phasing it out to remove the leverage that Washington can exert on Israeli policy.
That’s a legitimate debate, and many in Washington, including at the Heritage Foundation, agree that the alliance should evolve toward a partnership of equals. But equal does not mean distant. It means recognizing the immense value each side brings — and ensuring the relationship continues to serve both nations’ interests.
The Iran strike wasn’t just a military operation — it was a real-time demonstration of what this alliance can do when the stakes are highest.
For America, the US–Israel relationship delivers intelligence, technology, and economic returns that far exceed its costs. For Israel, it offers a trusted partner that shares its democratic values and understands the lessons of history: that Jewish sovereignty is not optional, but essential.
In a world where both our nations face rising threats — from Tehran’s nuclear ambitions to the spread of terrorism — the case for this alliance has never been clearer.
Alexander Mermelstein, a recent USC graduate with a Master’s in Public Policy and Data Science, is an aspiring policy researcher focused on Middle East affairs and combating antisemitism.
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‘No Room for Antisemitism’: Prague Mayor Quashes Rumored Kanye West Concert
Kanye West walking on the red carpet during the 67th Grammy Awards held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA on Feb. 2, 2025. Photo: Elyse Jankowski/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
In the Czech Republic, local officials have pushed back against a potential Ye concert in Prague following the cancellation of a July show near Bratislava, refusing to grant permission for the rapper formerly known as Kanye West to perform his music, including potentially recent tracks such as “Heil Hitler.”
“There is no request to organize such a concert, and if we were asked, we would not approve it,” said Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda.
He told Heyfomo.cz that “there is no room for antisemitism in Prague.”
Deputy Mayor Jiří Pospíšil added that the city “is not the place to celebrate Nazism.” He described himself as “strongly against Kanye West performing in Prague,” explaining how “we experienced firsthand the horrors of the Second World War, and we must not give room to people who glorify these crimes.”
A petition and open letter to Svoboda launched on Wednesday has received more than 14,000 supporters.
“Kanye West is abusing his media influence to normalize the language and symbols of the evil of war, which Europe, including the Czech Republic, has long rejected,” the letter states. “It is unacceptable that Prague provides space for his performance – not for musical expression, but for dangerous public attitudes that are in direct conflict with European historical memory and democratic values.”
The letter also points to “possible serious security risks” and notes that “an event of this type may attract radical and extremist groups from the Czech Republic and abroad. Given the public stance of the performer, there is a legitimate concern about the appearance of Nazi symbolism, violent behavior or the spread of ideologies that are unacceptable in a democratic society and criminal in the Czech Republic.”
The petitioners also argued that a Ye performance could break the law, violating a statute prohibiting “movements aimed at suppressing human rights and freedoms is a criminal offense, including the use of symbols, slogans or expressions of sympathy.”
Signatories of the letter included nonprofit leaders, lawyers, human rights experts, artists, attorneys, journalists, and scholars.
On Feb. 25, the European Jewish Congress reported that Czech police had investigated 40 percent more antisemitic hate crimes in 2024 compared to 2023, a total of 30 incidents of hate speech.
“In 2022, we dealt with 23 cases of antisemitic hate speech, 18 in 2023, and 30 in 2024,” said Czech Police spokesperson Ondřej Moravčík. “We are still in close contact with operators and owners of Jewish sites and carry out increased surveillance activities there.”
The Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic (FŽO) said that for 2023 it documented 4,328 antisemitic incidents, showing a 90 percent jump from the 2,277 incidents found in 2022. The group said that “in the Czech Republic, as in other countries, there is an insufficient level of reporting hate crimes, often due to stigma, distrust in institutions, or concerns about personal safety.”
For the 2023 incidents, FŽO saw a spike (almost 42 percent of the year’s total) from October through December, following the Hamas terror group’s Oct. 7 invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s Global 100 survey of antisemitic attitudes by country, research into the Czech Republic shows elevated levels of bigotry against Jews (support for at least 6 stereotypes) in 15 percent of adults — 1.3 million people — ranking the nation as the eleventh least antisemitic on the planet.
Ye has faced similar consequences in other countries for his decision to promote Nazism through his music, public appearances, TV ads, and even in the merchandise he hawks on his website. On July 2, Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced the cancellation of the hip hop mogul’s visa, preventing future visits with his Australian wife Bianca Censori’s family in Melbourne.
“We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry,” Burke said.
“In Whose Name?,” a documentary featuring Ye, will be released on Sept. 19. The film’s director, Nico Ballesteros, began shooting the project six years ago at age 18 when West gave him what The Hollywood Reporter described on Wednesday as “unfettered access to his life, breakdowns and inner circle,” yielding more than 3,000 hours of footage.
“For a shy kid, the camera became both a shield and a window, a way to channel my introspection while still engaging with the world,” Ballesteros said. “Ye has always had someone filming him too, a lens between him and the noise. Maybe that’s why we understood each other without saying much. I was able to fade into the background, stay present, the camera always rolling, catching moments outside the public performance.”
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UEFA President Says It’s ‘Legitimate’ to Ask Why Israel Is Allowed to Participate in Int’l Soccer Competitions
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin with Palestinian girl Tala and Mohamed from Gaza during the Paris Saint-Germain vs Tottenham Hotspur UEFA Super Cup medals ceremony in Udine, Italy, Aug. 13, 2025. Photo: Natasa Kupljenik/SPP/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin responded to a question about why Europe’s governing body of soccer allows Israel to participate in international soccer competitions while Russia is excluded, during an interview late last week on the Slovenian news program “Odmevi.”
“This is a legitimate question,” Čeferin stated. “In principle, I don’t support not allowing athletes to compete in competitions. In the case of Russia, the athletes have not competed for three and a half years, and the war is even worse than it was. I know that many are opponents of the regime, but they still can’t play. In principle, I am against not allowing athletes to participate in competitions. But here, sport is very intertwined with politics, and politics is very much involved here.”
When asked to elaborate on the UEFA’s permission to have Israel participate in competitions, Čeferin said, “For now, our decision is like this. It is very difficult for me to comment on what could happen. But in principle, I think that all athletes should have the opportunity to compete and that other things should be resolved differently.”
Čeferin also commented on Slovakia’s national women’s volleyball team refusing to shake hands with their Israeli opponents after a recent qualifying match for the European Championship. “In principle, I can say that I don’t like it when athletes do not shake hands with each other,” he noted.
The UEFA was accused of promoting an antisemitic blood libel last week for inviting several refugee children to display a banner on the pitch at the Super Cup final in Udine, Italy, that said, “Stop killing children. Stop killing civilians.” The UEFA invited two children from the Gaza Strip to participate in the medal ceremony at the same match, between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham.
However, the UEAF launched disciplinary proceedings against the Israeli team Maccabi Haifa after its fans displayed an anti-Polish banner at a UEFA Conference League qualifying match against Poland’s Raków Częstochowa.
The UEFA was also heavily criticized last week for stopping the family of Hamas hostage Rom Braslavski from displaying signs advocating for his release from captivity at Beitar Jerusalem’s match against Riga in a Conference League qualifier in Bucharest, Romania.
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Gal Gadot Gets Candid About ‘Snow White’ Flop After Rachel Zegler’s ‘Free Palestine’ Comment
Gal Gadot at the 82nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Photo: Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect
Israeli actress Gal Gadot opened up for the first time in a rare, public interview about the box office failure of her film last year, the live action remake of Disney’s “Snow White,” after its lead star and title character Rachel Zegler proclaimed “Free Palestine” on social media.
Gadot, who starred as the Evil Queen in the remake of the 1937 Disney classic, also said she believes “pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel” ended up “greatly affecting” the film and contributed to its box office flop. The former soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, who is a vocal supporter of the Jewish state and the eighth generation to be born there on her father’s side, made the comments during an appearance last week on the Israeli television show “Special Interview,” where celebrities are asked questions by autistic interviewers, and no question is off-limits. The Keshet 12 show is hosted by Gadot’s friend, Israeli actress Rotem Sela.
Mere days after the trailer for “Snow White” debuted last year, Zegler showed support for the Palestinian cause in a post on X. Gadot never directly responded to Zegler’s tweet at the time, but the son of the film’s producer called Zegler’s comments “immature” and blamed them for the film’s poor reviews. Zegler and Gadot went on separate press tours around the world for the film and at the “Snow White” premiere in Los Angeles, media outlets were not allowed to attend the red carpet to interview the costars. Zegler also did not attend Gadot’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony while the director and producer of “Snow White” both attended.
“Snow White” hit theaters in March 2024 and was reportedly one of Disney’s worst performing live-action remakes in almost a decade, following “Pete’s Dragon” in 2016.
During her Hebrew-language appearance on “Special Interview,” Gadot said she “really enjoyed filming” the movie and even enjoyed working with Zegler. “We laughed, we talked, and it was fun,” she noted.
“I was sure that this movie was going to be a huge success,” Gadot added. “And then Oct. 7, [2023] happened. And what’s happening in all kinds of industries, and also in Hollywood, is that there’s a lot of pressure on celebrities to speak out against Israel. I can always explain and try to give people in the world a context about what’s happening and what the reality is here. And I always do, but in the end, people decide for themselves. I was disappointed that the movie was greatly affected by that and didn’t do well at the box office. But that’s what happened.”
“You win some, you lose some,” Gadot then said in English.
Gadot also talked on “Special Interview” about other topics, such as being “scared to death” when she had a life-threatening brain clot during her pregnancy with her fourth daughter, Ori. She said that Sela and other close girlfriends helped her during her recovery. Gadot also discussed trying to keep her family connected to Israel even while they live in Los Angeles, and other aspects of her career.
She was even asked about her decision to not wear to the Golden Globes in January a pin in solidarity with the remaining hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
“I am Israeli. And I am a very, very proud Israeli,” she began by saying in response. At the Golden Globes, I was invited to present an award. And with these things, there are a lot of collaborations, and a lot of brands involved and it’s very complex. And it felt to me that it was not right to wear the pin there, when I’m coming to work. And it could be that it was a mistake.”
In an Instagram Story on Sunday, Gadot clarified the comments she made on “Special Interview” about the failure of “Snow White.”
“I was honored to join an extraordinary interview with inspiring interviewers, whose questions go straight to the heart,” Gadot wrote, as seen in a screenshot of the Instagram Story captured by BuzzFeed. “Sometimes we respond to questions from an emotional place. When the film [‘Snow White’] came out, I felt that those who are against Israel criticized me in a very personal, almost visceral way. They saw me first and foremost as an Israeli, not as an actress. That’s the perspective I spoke from when I answered the question.”
“Of course, the film didn’t fail solely because of external pressures. There are many factors that determine why a film succeeds or fails, and success is never guaranteed,” she concluded.
On Sunday, Gadot met with families of Israeli hostages at Hostages Square in Tel Aviv to support them during a nationwide protest called “Israel On Hold,” which was organized by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum in an effort to pressure the Israeli government to negotiate for the release of the 50 remaining hostages abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.