The United States was the first to stand by our side and embrace Israel after Hamas' murderous terrorist attack on October 7. Since then, the Americans have continued to provide generous economic and military assistance, and no less important – also international political cover in a cynical and even hostile climate towards Israel.
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American support and backing have been and remain one of the cornerstones of building Israel's strength and security. It contributes not only to our resilience but also to our ability to deter our enemies. After all, without President Joe Biden's explicit threats, Hassan Nasrallah and his Iranian benefactors might have been tempted to expand the scope of the confrontation they are waging against us.
However, there is another side to that American embrace: It's not just about warmth and a sense of security; it also has the potential to restrict and constrain our steps. The Americans are embracing us so tightly that we cannot break free from their embrace.
One cannot blame the Israeli leadership that during their moment of intense duress and loss of control threw itself into the arms of the Americans. But it is important to remember that Israel has always taken care to explain to these allies that our uniqueness and advantage is that, unlike Washington's other allies around the world, we do not need American soldiers to protect us from our enemies. All Washington has to do is maintain Israel's military edge – and we will know how to fight our own wars. This time the Americans rushed to send aircraft carriers to our region to protect us, and perhaps even fight our wars.
It is not surprising that the Americans are working to restrict Israel's freedom of maneuver and action. They want the IDF to move to low-intensity fighting in Gaza, avoid holding territory there, and even demand the provision of aid to Gaza residents, enabling Hamas to continue its rule there. In the future, the Americans seek to transfer control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority, and perhaps even come to terms with Hamas continuing its rule there.
What should be disturbing is not the mere existence of disagreements between friends, but the fact that they are based on a long-standing American view of the region and its problems through Western eyes – as if Palestinian society, and in fact all Arab societies, have Western values.
Even more concerning is the logic guiding the administration – Western logic. That is why the Americans pressed Israel to agree to let Hamas run in the 2006 Palestinian Authority elections, hoping this would lead to its moderation. And why they demanded Israel not attack Lebanese infrastructure in the 2006 Lebanon War, depriving us of the victory that would have prevented Hezbollah from becoming such a significant threat to Israel.
That is also why they enthusiastically supported the Arab Spring uprisings. And now they are pinning their hopes on the Palestinian Authority and the Lebanese government reining in Hamas and Hezbollah.
The price was paid by Israel, and will also be paid in the future – as well as by other Washington allies in the region. One can only hope the Americans are aware that this war on Hamas has global implications that will affect Washington's standing in other parts of the world. After all, if Israel fails to achieve its war aims, it will be perceived by the world as an American failure. And it will give tailwind to all those seeking to challenge the US and threaten its allies around the world, from China and North Korea to Russia.
Friendship with the United States is an asset we must safeguard at all costs. But the US will value us more if we stand our ground. Ultimately it will thank us when it realizes Israeli resolve is destined to serve them as well. That is what happened when we bombed the Iraqi nuclear reactor in June 1981. The Americans strongly condemned the strike, and only a decade later, when they went to war with Saddam Hussein after he invaded Kuwait, did they concede their mistake.
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