In one of our most popular pieces to date “America’s Appalling Ally” White Papers outlined the unhealthy American-Israeli relationship. At the time, White Papers was nearly alone on the nationalist right for pointing out these issues from a dispassionate, practical, and decidedly pro-American point of view. Meanwhile the mainstream Republican party was proclaiming that America needed Israel to survive (Nikki Haley); and that without Israeli friendship, America would lack the blessings of God (Ted Cruz). Most right wing influencers at the time were great supporters of the Israeli project, and the general mood in the country was one of support for Israel in the wake of the terrible October 7th terrorist attacks which killed 828 Israeli civilians including, tragically, 32 children.
A lot has changed since Americans grieved for Israel after the events of October 7th. American public opinion has been transformed in the wake of Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza, which has morphed into what many across the political spectrum are now calling a forced displacement and even a genocide. Israel’s military operations in Gaza have resulted in at least 66,200 Palestinian deaths which count among them 18,712 children. This war and its accompanying tragedies have begun to tear the fabric of American society apart as America’s citizenry expresses interests radically different to its pro-Israel elite.
America’s Appalling Ally
Americans are now all too aware that American tax dollars, American weapons, American-made fighter jets, and even American soldiers (manning equipment such as THAAD launchers) are being used by the Israelis to prosecute this war. Additionally, none of the issues we highlighted “America’s Appalling Ally” have been resolved. Israel still spies on Americans and our government, Israel continues to give our technology to China, and public officials across the West and in the United States continue to put Israeli interests first. This relationship damages American democracy. Americans risk becoming hateful of both Israelis, our fellow Americans, and our own government. Hate is unhealthy for any society.
Inspired by Tucker Carlson’s recently published video “4 Ways to Fix America’s Deeply Destructive and Humiliating Relationship with Israel,” we put together a series of eight policies the United States must adopt in order to normalize and rectify our unhealthy relationship with Israel and put American national interests first.
Policy #1: America will limit foreign relations with Israel contingent upon good behavior.
Until such a time that Israel can prove itself to be a cooperative and constructive member of the family of nations the American government must reduce embassy staff to the absolute minimum necessary to provide consular services to Americans in Israel and relocate the American embassy from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv in accordance with international law.
Similarly the United States must expel all Israeli diplomatic personnel save for those necessary to provide basic consular services to Israelis in the United States.
Policy #2: The United States will no longer fund Israel or neighboring states.
Israel will be treated like any other country. The United States will no longer give billions in American tax dollars to the Israeli state every year. Between 1946 and 2024 more than $300 billion in American taxpayer money has been funneled to Israel.
Additionally billions have been given each year to neighboring states such as Egypt and Jordan in order to pacify their relationships with Israel. It is not the duty of the American taxpayer to fund Israeli diplomatic priorities, this too will stop.
Policy #3: The United States will no longer share intelligence with Israel.
Multiple Mossad agents operate networks in the United States, Israelis steal American economic secrets, and intelligence sharing fuels Israeli operations in the Middle East. This will end.
America should only share intelligence with Israel if we believe an attack on civilians or civilian infrastructure in that country is likely. This is the same standard relationship we have with most non-allied countries. We would expect Israel to reciprocate.
Policy #4: Americans who serve in the Israeli (or any foreign) military or the Israeli (or any foreign) government will lose their American citizenship.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 349(a)(3) must be amended so that any service by an American in a foreign government or foreign military is automatically assumed to be a declaration of intention to relinquish U.S. nationality.
Policy #5: The United States will cease (at least temporarily) any sale of American weapons and weapons systems to Israel.
Israel is engaged in multiple conflicts against its neighbors and other regional allies of the United States such as Qatar. All while in violation of international law.
Just as the United States ceased arms sales to Saudi Arabia from 2021 to 2024 the United States must cease arms sales to Israel.
Policy #6: Organizations whose primary purpose is to lobby for a foreign government and nation must register as foreign agents.
Currently organizations such as AIPAC, the ADL, and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews exist primarily to push the interest of the Israeli government in the United States. These organizations maintain robust connections to the Israeli state and related organizations.
These organizations and those with similar to connections to other countries must be made to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).
Policy #7: Israel will repay its monetary debt to the American people.
Until such a time that Israel ceased its abusive behavior towards the United States and the American people we must demand Israel repay the American people approximately $400 billion.
This includes $300 billion in aid to Israel since 1943, $51 billion in military aid to Egypt since 1979, and approximately $34 billion in aid to Jordan since the 1950s.
Policy #8: America will not revisit its positions outlined above until Israel pulls out of the Gaza Strip and ceases any expansion of its settlements in the West Bank.
For decades the American people and American government have expressed their popular will to be for a two-state solution in line with UN Resolutions creating a state for the Jewish people and state for Palestinians.
The American government must maintain a policy in line with the wishes of the American public and stop supporting Israeli expansionism into Palestinian territory.
Conclusion
These are just the first and most necessary steps the American government must make to rectify our relationship with Israel and to treat it as any other nation on the international stage. The American government has been responsible for enabling much of the ‘rogue state’ style behavior of the Israeli government and it is time that we cease enabling it.
Finally, only Americans and the American state speaks for the American people. Israel and the Israeli Lobby in the United States do not speak for all American Jews, a third of whom hold an unfavorable opinion of Israel according to the latest Pew Research polling.
More importantly, though, the American people in general hold an unfavorable view of Israel. 50% of Republicans under 50 hold an unfavorable view of Israel, 69% of Democrats hold an unfavorable view of Israel, and 53% of the American people more broadly hold unfavorable opinions about Israel.
It’s time to end this false alliance and put America First.