In the last eight months, opposition to the aid that Israel receives from the United States has grown. There are good reasons for the Jewish state to stop the funding, but the latest push to end the aid program is not rooted in an understanding that it is in Israel’s best interests to no longer be dependent on American-made weapons. Nor is it based on an understanding that the symbolism of the assistance works against maintaining support for an alliance that benefits both countries.
Instead, the burgeoning movement to go ahead with it is rooted in contempt for Israel’s democratically elected government and the majority of its citizens, and as a way to exert pressure on the Jewish state and downgrade the long-term and crucial alliance. That’s why, although I agree that in the long run that Israel will be far better off giving it up, this isn’t the time to do so.
