When did American leaders’ love affair with Israel start? Once the State of Israel declared its independence in 1948. President Truman recognized it in 11 minutes. Perhaps it won’t surprise you to know that virtually every other president since 1948 has shown the same slavish devotion. What makes Israel so irresistible to U.S. politicians? In a word: money. Not only does it make the world go round, it’s a job creator and preserver for politicians. President Biden is a prime example. He became president on the strength of over $5 million of Israel lobby money since 1990. How do you reward such generosity? If you’re Joe Biden in your 50 years as senator and president, you “shower Israel with unquestioning support, even when its behavior elicits bipartisan outrage.” [Branko Marcetic, Biden biographer]. It’s not just the president who is corrupted by Israeli lobby money. According to a study done by The Guardian in December 2023, Congressional backers of Israel in the war in Gaza received more money from pro-Israel donors than those whose support was considered lukewarm. How has Israel repaid such generosity? In 1982, 241 marines died in a payback attack for US complicity in one of Israel’s murderous rampages in Lebanon. That rampage may be forgotten but the 1967 bombing of an American ship, the Liberty, in broad daylight murdering 34 American should never be. Not only the crime but the coverup. Read all about it in “Why Do I Love Thee, Israel?”
