A strong U.S.-Israel relationship has become as American as baseball and apple pie.
(Feb. 11, 2025 / JNS)
Every four years, the United States experiences a renewal with a presidential inauguration. The pomp and circumstance of the event inspire Americans to revisit their values and prioritize the principles that caused the founding fathers to rebel against the British and establish a nation that stands for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
A new president also brings with him a new direction on foreign policy and a review of which countries will be considered friends and which will be considered foes. Thankfully, almost every president prioritizes America’s relationship with Israel. A strong U.S.-Israel relationship has become as American as baseball and apple pie.
The greatest manifestation of the U.S.-Israel relationship is the practical partnership in issues that directly benefit both countries. Cooperation between the U.S. and Israeli militaries, as well as in the intelligence sphere, has made both countries safer and the world a more peaceful place. While the public will never be privy to the nature of intelligence shared between the two countries, stories occasionally speak of the deep cooperation between American and Israeli intelligence agencies.
Those who study and advocate for the U.S.-Israel relationship know the relationship is much more complex than just practical military and intelligence operations. America and Israel are built on ideals and values. It is these shared values that have laid the foundation of the relationship between the two countries. These enduring values ensure that the relationship is bipartisan and continues irrespective of whether America is governed by Republicans or Democrats and Israel is governed by its right or left.
In 1776, America’s founding fathers rebelled against tyrannical England and declared its independence to provide freedom for the pioneers of the new world. America was born and freedom became a hope and dream for billions of people all over the globe.
Some 2,000 years ago, the Jewish people lost their freedom to foreign invaders of their land. First Roman conquers invaded Israel and exiled and killed millions of its people. Then Arab invaders tried to finish off the Jewish people. As hard as they tried over the next 1,300 years, they were never able to empty the land of its Jews. In the late 1800s, the Jewish people began their quest for national freedom in their historic homeland. Zionism was a movement to actualize the 2,000-year-old Jewish dream of rejuvenating their national aspirations of freedom on their land. The Jews returned to their land, and like their American brethren, fought the Ottomans and the British for their independence.

Freedom isn’t the only value shared by both nations. Unlike the cults of violence and death that their enemies stand for, America and Israel advocate for life. They prioritize life for their own people and others. Both countries also share a dedication to God and biblical values. Both place a premium on education, security, democracy—the list goes on. Most Israelis and Americans are surprised when visiting each other’s nations for the first time as to just how similar the countries and people are to those back home.
The ultimate shared value between the two nations isn’t freedom, democracy or education: It’s the pioneering spirit that infects both nations. People traversed the Atlantic Ocean to come to America and settle the unsettled land in search of prosperity and to better the world. Yet early America was plagued by diseases, and the land was difficult to farm. Similarly, when the early Zionist pioneers came to the Land of Israel, then called Palestine, the land was also plagued by disease and difficult to settle. The early Zionist pioneers also aimed to achieve prosperity and better the world.
Unfortunately, many social justice warriors who claim to stand for progressive values demonize the pioneering spirit as “occupation” and “colonization.” These misguided individuals romanticize poverty and primitive backwardness instead of lauding true progress.
One of the perplexing complexities of the Middle East is why Israel and the Jewish people have succeeded while Palestinians have floundered. Israel’s enemies prefer to attribute Israel’s success to colonialism and oppression. However, even a rudimentary study of the two groups demonstrates the juxtaposition between Israel’s pioneering spirit to achieve prosperity for all people of the land and the Palestinian inclination to demonize and play the victim. The Jewish people have been victimized in the most heinous ways throughout history, yet they have never acted like a victim. They allowed their pioneering spirit to come to the fore, and it led them to today’s prosperity. Ironically, Israel’s prosperity has extended beyond its Jewish citizens and has improved Palestinians’ quality of life, length of life and population numbers.
America and Israel share real-world connections and practical values that have made their peoples some of the most advanced in the world. They also share a pioneering spirit that can be seen in both nations. America has set its sights on Mars and the next frontier. Israel is on the precipice of advancements in medicine and technology that will change the lives of people around the world. Neither Israel nor America rest on their laurels; they are always looking for the next area of innovation and growth. As long as they stay true to their pioneering spirit, settling the next frontier committed to freedom, democracy and life, they will be assured of success.