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When it comes to Israel, it’s never “America first”, by Osmund Agbo
In March 2014, about two years prior to the 2016 United States presidential election, all roads led to the Venetian, a 5-star resort in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, owned by the legendary American Jew, Sheldon Adelson. Mr. Adelson was the billionaire owner of the Sands Corporation and the single biggest donor to the Republican Party.
Sands Corporation owned the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and was the parent company of Venetian Macao Limited, which operated The Venetian Las Vegas and the Sands Expo and Convention Center at some point. Adelson is also the proud owner of two Israeli newspapers, including the Israeli daily, “Israel Hayom” and the Israeli weekly, “Makor Rishon”.
Prior to his death on January 11, 2021, Sheldon Adelson was worth well over $32 billion. Together with his wife Miriam, he had donated more than $500 million to the Republican party campaigns and Republican-leaning Political Action Committees, fondly known as super PACs, over the course of several years.
Just so we know and contrary to all you have been told about the famed American democracy, creating and funding a Super PAC is how the super rich in the United States buy elections without breaching the law. This process is akin to the methods employed by drug barons to launder money, albeit without facing legal repercussions. But I digress.
The meeting between Mr. Adelson and the then Republican Party presidential hopefuls, which included Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, and John Kasich, took place during the spring meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition held at his resort. One-on-one, the mega-donor engaged in discussions with each of the potential nominees in what was jocularly referred to as the “Adelson Primary”. It resembled an audition, with each candidate explaining their policy positions in hopes of garnering support from Adelson’s deep pockets.
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In return, Adelson sought to ascertain their stance on issues, particularly those concerning the state of Israel. He made no pretense about his staunch support for Israel and was deeply connected to his Jewish identity, to the extent that upon his death on January 11, 2021, he was buried not in the United States where he was born and lived, but on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
In that particular election cycle, Adelson ended up pitching his tent with the party’s nominee, Mitt Romney, who ultimately lost to Barack Obama. Fast forward to 2016, and Donald Trump emerged as the Republican nominee for President. Adelson and his wife once again emerged as major contributors, becoming the largest donors to his presidential campaign. In fact, Adelson’s contributions to Trump and the GOP for the 2020 election cycle were estimated to exceed $200 million, eclipsing all other donors by a considerable margin.
Upon Trump’s election, he proved himself a stalwart ally to Adelson, the influential benefactor of the Republican party and biggest contributor to his presidential campaign. In fact, Trump was in such a hurry to flaunt his pro-Israel bona fides, that he made the risky political decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a move that defied decades of diplomatic tradition and sparked international uproar. This ill-adviced action was swiftly followed by the initiation of plans to relocate the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
While it would be disingenuous to suggest that the formidable influence of the Jewish lobby in American politics is confined to the Republican Party, it is clear that its reach extends across the political spectrum. George Soros, the billionaire philanthropist and former hedge fund manager, also emerges as a significant figure in this arena, being one of the foremost donors to the Democratic Party. Through his Open Society Foundation, Soros champions liberal causes not just in the U. S but all around the world.
Despite differences in approach, particularly regarding Israel, where Adelson’s fervent support contrasts with Soros’s more nuanced stance, it is notable that the majority of Jews maintain a strong pro-Israel sentiment. This unwavering loyalty to Israel transcends party lines, evidenced by the consistent alignment of both Republican and Democratic administrations with Israeli interests. This allegiance, characterized by a lack of critical scrutiny, mirrors blind devotion, akin to a path fraught with peril, yet devoid of a clear escape route.
Since the inception of the Jewish state in 1948, unwavering U.S. support for Israel has defined American Middle East policy. President John F. Kennedy aptly termed it a “special relationship” in 1962. Central to this bond is the substantial aid Washington extends to Israel. As the foremost recipient of U.S. military assistance, Israel has received over $300 billion since World War II, when adjusted for inflation. Annually, Israel benefits from approximately $3.8 billion in military aid from the United States, alongside additional arms deals and security benefits.
The lingering query remains: What has the US gained in return for its allegiance to the State of Isreal? While some contend that Israel serves as the eyes and ears of the US in the Middle East, facilitating American interests, little is known about the extent of the reciprocity in this relationship. Despite intelligence gathering and sharing between the CIA and Mossad, recent events, notably the Gaza conflict, underscore the adverse impacts of this one-sided alliance.
Because of Isreal, America is making a mockery of itself by claiming to be a bastion of Democracy. Israel’s war in Gaza, fought with money from American taxpayers, has led to the loss of around 32,000 lives, predominantly women and children. The infrastructure in Gaza lies in ruins, fueling widespread famine and disease. Despite the U.S. airlifting aid to Gaza, it paradoxically persists in furnishing Israel with sophisticated weaponry, a stance that defies logic.
Facing unprecedented backlash at home and worldwide in an election year, President Joe Biden appears visibly unsettled. He now advocates for a ceasefire, but Mr. Netanyahu, the controversial Israeli Prime Minister, views the war as a means to stay in power and shows no willingness to comply. In fact, he aims to expel Palestinians from Gaza and establish new Israeli settlements, rejecting the notion of a two-state solution and openly opposing Mr. Biden. Traditionally, the one who foots the bill sets the agenda, but in the US-Israeli relationship, this dynamic is inverted.
Washington’s steadfast backing of Israel in the Gaza conflict has triggered dire regional consequences. Stretching from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Red Sea, a web of volatile flashpoints looms, posing a grave risk of engulfing the region—and implicating the United States—in large-scale warfare. In recent years, Israel has persistently sought to push the United States into direct conflict with Iran, despite such actions running counter to both U.S. interests and the stability of the region.
Jews persistently find themselves entangled in conspiracy theories, whether it pertains to the Rothschild family assumedly orchestrating global financial maneuvers from the shadows or figures such as Sheldon Adelson and George Soros wielding outsized influence over US political affairs. While I eschew subscribing to the concept of the Illuminati, it remains indisputable that these Sons of David wield a conspicuous and disproportionate sway across the globe. They not only ascend to the upper echelons of various sectors but prevail over pivotal realms of the global economy, spanning banking, finance, academia, business, media, politics and even Hollywood.
Their acumen is notable, characterized by strategic foresight and a steadfast commitment to advancing the Jewish community on a global scale. Given their harrowing history, particularly marked by the Holocaust, one can hardly fault individuals for earnestly safeguarding their kin. A prevailing sentiment persists that one’s identity as a Jew takes precedence over all other considerations.
Successive administrations in the United States, spanning both political parties, persist in yielding to Israeli demands, notably under the leadership of Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. Conversely, Netanyahu adeptly comprehends his position of influence and occasionally pushes boundaries without repercussions.
Whether entangled in disputes with President Obama over Iran or engaging in disagreements with President Biden concerning the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, Israel’s incumbent president demonstrates a knack for sidestepping U.S. presidents and challenging their authority. Frequently, he leverages Congress to assert his dominance and advance his agenda.
However, it’s imperative to acknowledge that neither Israel nor Netanyahu are the primary drivers of this influence. Rather, it is powerful American citizens, residing within the continental United States, who just happen to have Jewish blood coursing through their veins. This influential cohort wields significant control over both the economic and political landscapes of the U.S. and beyond, capable of compelling even the most powerful man on earth to align with their interests. They are the masterminds behind the scenes, setting the rhythm to which Netanyahu continues to dance to.
As I pen this piece, the United States is dispatching 1,000 troops to construct a pier off Gaza’s shore, aiming to break the siege imposed by its supposed ally, which utilizes U.S. weaponry yet refuses to lift the blockade. Israel remains adamant about advancing into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, disregarding objections from the U.S., despite over 1.5 million Palestinians—comprising more than half of Gaza’s population—seeking refuge there.
The purported “special relationship” with Israel yields minimal benefits for the United States, while actively undermining its strategic interests and often contradicting the values that Washington professes to uphold. As one writer puts it, Isreal has become a strategic liability for the United States.
It’s high time for the United States to recalibrate its alliance with Israel by adopting a strategic approach that prioritizes American interests above all else. Instead of blindly adhering to longstanding policies, each decision regarding military aid, arms sales, and other matters should be guided by a meticulous assessment of concrete U.S. interests. Washington’s foreign policy towards Israel, just like other nations, must embody a “America first” stance.
The danger of overindulging the petulant child goes beyond just personal consequences; it affects everyone. In a world already grappling with soaring inflation and struggling to recover from the COVID-induced supply chain crisis, the last thing we need is more conflict.
Osmund Agbo is the author of “Black Grit, White Knuckles: The Philosophy of Black Renaissance” and a fiction work titled “The Velvet Court: Courtesan Chronicles,” and other publications.
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