There are foundational illusions in political analysis and interpretations that hinder the accurate perception of issues. These illusions exist in all societies around the world, not just in our Arab world; they take many forms but operate through the same mechanisms and behave the same way.
Among these pervasive illusions in political analysis in the Arab world is the belief that Jews, or Israel, govern America and control its decisions, and that no president can reach the White House without being a “servant” to Zionist interests.
Yes, there are “special” relations between the US and Israel, with strategic political and security interests, and some “emotional” undercurrent. All of this cannot be denied, however, asserting that Israel is the actual ruler of America is a pure illusion.
In the ongoing US-Israel conflict against Iran, we have observed conflicting policies and approaches regarding a political deal to end the war. News recently spread about a heated telephone call between US President Donal Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
US Vice President JD Vance also acknowledged that Netanyahu "has certainly made some mistakes." In an interview with CBS, Vance said that Netanyahu "strongly defends his country's interests," but noted that those interests do not always align with American ones.
Netanyahu attempted to downplay the extent of disagreements with the Trump administration, stating in an interview with NBC last week: "As happens in the best of families, we sometimes have tactical disagreements, but we always find a way to resolve them."
History shows that there have been rough patches in US-Israeli relations.
During the 1956 Suez War, known as the “Tripartite Aggression”, when three countries - Britain, France, and Israel - launched an attack on Egypt over the Suez Canal, Israel initially refused to withdraw from Sinai and Gaza. US President Dwight D. Eisenhower then threatened to cut economic aid, which forced Israel to withdraw.
In 1991, during the war to liberate Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion, US President George H.W. Bush and his Secretary of State James Baker resorted to financial pressure by freezing $10 billion in loan guarantees to compel Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir to halt settlement expansion and attend the Madrid Peace Conference.
The case of Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard, a civilian intelligence analyst in the US Navy, remains, however, one of the clearest examples of the clash between American and Israeli interests. Pollard was convicted of spying for Israel, arrested in America in 1985, and sentenced to life in prison. After 30 years, he was released from prison and went to Tel Aviv, where he was welcomed by Netanyahu at the airport in December 2020. Who knows, perhaps today there are more Pollards in America left to be discovered.
Israel’s popularity in the US has not been at its best for some time. And yet, it is undisputedly America's closest ally in the Middle East. The truth is though that America is larger than Israel, and its interests, as perceived by any of its presidents, will remain a priority.
