By LaBode Obanor
The core elements of a true national ally embody essential qualities: a partner nation that not only shares your values but also stands by you in challenging times, actively contributes to your defense, and cooperates on diplomatic and economic fronts while respecting differences and maintaining trust.
A genuine ally consistently upholds their commitment, never letting their friend down, undermining her, or engaging in actions that could jeopardize or embarrass her.
The United States has demonstrated steadfast support and solidarity with Israel over the years. However, it is clear that this support has not been adequately reciprocated. While both nations assert a commitment to mutual cooperation, the evidence suggests a relationship that leans more towards dependency than true partnership, with the U.S. serving as the primary and perhaps the only benefactor.
Let me be unequivocal: I fully support Israel's right to exist as a sovereign nation and to live peacefully alongside its neighbors. Israel has the right to defend itself against unjustified attacks. In this discussion, my reference to “Israel” specifically addresses the Zionist government in power, not the good-hearted people of Israel.
For decades, the U.S.-Israel relationship has been disturbingly asymmetric, characterized by substantial military, economic, and diplomatic support from the United States. The support traces back to Israel’s founding in 1948 when the U.S. became the first nation to officially recognize Israel just 11 minutes after its declaration of independence. Since then, the United States has steadfastly utilized its veto power in the U.N. Security Council to protect Israel from resolutions that challenge its actions, particularly in the context of conflicts with neighboring Arab states and its policies in the Palestinian territories.
The U.S., through its Foreign Military Financing (FMF), has provided Israel with significant military aid, making Israel the largest recipient of U.S. military assistance globally. Between 1948 and 2023, the U.S. provided Israel with over $158 billion in bilateral assistance, most of which was military.
In 2016, the U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) committed the U.S. to providing $3.8 billion annually in military aid, amounting to $38 billion over ten years. It also includes funds for the missile defense program, Weapons, and Technology Transfers, such as the F-35 fighter jets, missile defense systems, and precision-guided munitions.
The U.S. funded and built Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, which intercepts and destroys short-range rockets and artillery shells. Since its development in the early 2010s, the U.S. has provided over $1.6 billion for the Iron Dome and other missile defense systems like David’s Sling and Arrow.
On the economic front, the U.S. has consistently demonstrated robust support for Israel through significant aid via the Economic Support Funds (ESF) and by offering loan guarantees that enable Israel to access international markets at favorable rates. A prime example of this commitment is the $9 billion in loan guarantees provided to Israel through the 2003 Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act. Throughout Israel's conflicts, U.S. support has remained unwavering. During pivotal moments such as the 1967 Six-Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, as well as subsequent conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza, the U.S. has provided vital military support, including emergency resupplies of equipment. In recent conflicts in Gaza, including those in 2008, 2014, and 2021, the United States has continued to stand firmly behind Israel, offering both military and diplomatic backing. Today, as Israel engages in its current battles against Hamas, Lebanon, Iran, and the Houthis in Yemen, the U.S. remains a steadfast ally, advocating for Israel's security while also urging for de-escalation.
But what does the U.S. get in return for the extensive military, economic, and diplomatic support that it provides Israel? Evidence shows that what it gets from Israel pales in comparison and is very insignificant to what a true ally should reciprocate. In some instances, Israel has gone out of its way to undermine the U.S., acts in ways that jeopardize the U.S. national interest, cut off the U.S. at its knees in situations that matter most and continues to embarrass the U.S.
For example, in the Russian war on Ukraine, Israel’s neutral stance during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been a point of contention. While the U.S. insistently takes Israel's side in conflicts. Israel refuses to take the U.S. side. Despite global efforts by Western nations to isolate Russia economically, Israel maintained relations with Russia. Its overt reluctance to fully align with U.S. sanctions efforts has led to criticism from American lawmakers who view Israel’s approach as inconsistent with its role as a key U.S. ally.
Looking back on all of the U.S. wars after 1948, Israel has never fought alongside the U.S.
On the Iran Nuclear Deal, While the U.S. has aimed to negotiate and revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) to curb Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Israel has consistently opposed these efforts. Even on the international stage, Israel continues to lobby against U.S. efforts to engage diplomatically with Iran, which at times has undermined American foreign policy strategies in the region.
Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territories, including its military operations in Gaza and settlement expansions, often challenge U.S. diplomatic efforts to broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Despite American calls for restraint, Israel’s military responses in Gaza and its expansionist policies in the West Bank often complicate U.S. positions in the Middle East and damage America’s standing among Arab and Muslim-majority nations.
In the aftermath of the October 7 attack on Israel, the Gaza bombings escalated into one of this century’s most destructive conflicts, resulting in the tragic loss of tens of thousands of lives and plunging at least half of the Gaza Strip's population into famine. Despite facing increasing pressure from the U.S. to allow humanitarian aid into the enclave, Israel has resisted, seemingly complicating U.S. efforts to broker peace.
Now, Israel is attempting to draw the U.S. into a broader regional conflict, engaging on multiple fronts against at least six neighboring countries and paramilitary groups, including Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and entities in Iran, Iraq, and Syria.
This raises a critical question for many U.S. citizens, friends, and true allies: what kind of ally consistently undermines and embarrasses its partner as Israel has done?
While both countries may be under the illusion that a mutual and strong partnership exists between them, the fact remains that the notion that Israel is a “true ally” of the U.S. can be challenged when scrutinized through various lenses. As stated above, Israel's actions, including espionage efforts against the U.S., repeated violations of international law, and pursuit of policies that conflict with American interests, raise questions about the depth of its loyalty as an ally.
Furthermore, the considerable financial and military assistance provided by the United States to Israel often appears to yield disproportionate benefits for Israel, raising questions about the strategic returns for the United States. When these dynamics are analyzed, it becomes evident that Israel, despite its claims of partnership, does not fully exemplify the characteristics of a genuine ally—namely, one whose interests are consistently aligned with those of the United States.
Consequently, it is imperative to critically examine the nature of the U.S.-Israel relationship to ensure that it serves the interests of both nations equitably rather than permitting one to dominate to the detriment of the other.
Labode Obanor
is a social justice advocate.
The opinions expressed in this essay are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the League for Social Justice.
Email: Jlabode74@gmail.com
X: @obanor
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