You probably have heard a lot recently from politicians from both Republicans and Democrats calling Israel “America’s greatest ally.” But is this really the case? A closer examination of the history of U.S.-Israeli relations and their policies reveals a different picture.
First, let’s talk about what an ally really is. An ally is a country/nation that shares the same goals, is in agreement on mutual interests, and shares common values. The U.S. has long used the term “ally” to describe its closest partners. For instance, this includes countries such as the U.K., France, Japan, and others. But when it comes to Israel, that definition doesn’t quite fit.
One prime example of an event that a lot of people don’t know is that during the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel attacked a U.S. Navy ship, killing 34 of our U.S. citizens and injuring 171 crew members on that ship. Israel stated that it was an accident, mistaking them for Egyptians. But eyewitnesses on the ship who testified said that Israel knew it was them by the obvious U.S. flag and U.S. soldiers waving. Despite the eyewitnesses, for some reason, the United States accepted Israel’s claim and moved forward with that event. Still, this shows that Israel was suspicious and not a real ally that kills our servicemen.
Another event is the U.S.-Israel intelligence in the aftermath of 9/11. On September 12, 2002, the former Prime Minister of Israel, at the time Benjamin Netanyahu, came to the House of Representatives and said, “There is no question whatsoever that Saddam is seeking and is working and is advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons.” And also said this is not a hypothesis. It is a fact. Iraq, Iran, and Libya are racing to develop nuclear weapons. This was later proved false, as there was no evidence at all of nuclear weapons programs in these countries. This example just shows how Israeli officials push the U.S. toward military action based on their interests that are not always aligned with actual threats to the United States.
One important thing to point out is that Israel did not send a single IDF soldier to help the U.S. in its battles in the Middle East. That once again shows Israel’s acts, not being the so-called “greatest ally.”
Most recently, U.S. foreign policy toward Israel has once again reflected the pattern of Washington becoming entangled in Israel’s regional conflicts—particularly regarding Iran. Israeli leaders have repeatedly framed Iran as an existential threat, warning that Tehran is developing nuclear weapons and plotting to “destroy Israel and America.” These claims have often driven U.S. administrations to take harder lines on Iran, even when American intelligence assessments found no conclusive evidence that Iran had a nuclear weapon. During the Trump administration, for example, officials publicly said that while Iran’s nuclear ambitions were concerning, there was no tangible proof of an active weapons program. Yet, U.S. policy still mirrored Israel’s aggressive posture, bringing the two countries close to confrontation with Iran. This repetition of unverified claims and military brinkmanship suggests that Israel continues to draw the United States into conflicts that primarily serve Israeli, not necessarily American, interests.
In the end, all of these events show that Israel has not acted as a true ally to the United States. Simply put, Israel can be compared to a friend who constantly gets you into trouble—someone who appears supportive on the surface but whose actions often create more problems than they solve.
