Henry Kissinger’s cynical observation that, “It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but being America’s friend can be fatal,” has never felt more relevant. As the United States navigates its role as a global power, its alliances — once thought unshakable — are increasingly exposed as conditional. Nowhere is this fragility more evident than in the contrasting trajectories of two allies: Israel and Ukraine.
For decades, Israel has enjoyed bipartisan devotion in Washington, bolstered by an influential lobby. Ukraine, meanwhile, has relied on fleeting geopolitical calculus to secure aid. But as US politics evolve, Israel’s once-unassailable position is crumbling. A generational reckoning, moral disillusionment among American Jews, and the spectre of transactional abandonment, as seen in Ukraine’s plight, now threaten to unravel this historic alliance.
Israel’s clout in Washington has long been unmatched, thanks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and a deeply entrenched Zionist lobby. These forces have secured billions in annual military aid and diplomatic immunity at the UN, framing support for Israel as both a moral imperative and a strategic necessity. This influence is rooted not just in lobbying prowess but in a symbiotic relationship with American Jews, many of whom view Israel as a cultural sanctuary, a narrative forged by Holocaust trauma and Cold War-era ideals of democracy in a turbulent Middle East. Ukraine, by contrast, lacks such institutional muscle. Yet, the base built by the pro-Israel lobby is shaking terribly.
Support for Israel among younger Americans — particularly progressives — has plummeted. Where older generations saw Israel as a democratic ally, young people increasingly see it as an apartheid state. Social media has weaponised this shift, flooding feeds with images of Gaza’s rubble: bombed hospitals, grieving families and children’s bodies pulled from the ruins of their homes.
American Jews, once Israel’s staunchest defenders, now lead this moral reckoning.
Organisations like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow mobilise thousands to protest against the occupation, boycott Israeli goods and demand US divestment. A 2023 Pew survey found that 52 per cent of US Jews under 40 believe that Israel’s government is guilty of the crime of apartheid, a seismic shift for a community raised on stories of Israel as a refuge.
Meanwhile, Israel’s leadership seems oblivious. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition, his judicial overhaul eroding democratic checks, and his dismissal of American Jewish critics — “They don’t understand our security needs” — have alienated liberal allies. The Nation-State Law, enshrining Jewish supremacy, and relentless settlement expansion only deepen the rift.
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Indeed, the divide between American and Israeli Jews has erupted into open conflict. American Jews, largely secular and progressive, champion pluralism and equality. Israeli Jews, particularly under Netanyahu, increasingly embrace ethno-nationalism, viewing legitimate Palestinian rights as incompatible with Israel’s security. This clash exploded during the 2021 Gaza war. While Israeli media framed Israel’s bombing campaigns as self-defence, American Jews flooded social media with evidence of Palestinian suffering.
The backlash has turned venomous. Israeli officials accuse American Jews of “disloyalty”, while figures like Steve Bannon — Donald Trump’s former strategist — label progressive Jews as “the worst enemies of Israel.” Such rhetoric, dripping with anti-Semitic tropes, reveals a bitter truth: to Israel’s government, dissent is tantamount to betrayal.
Once hailed as “the only democracy in the Middle East,” Israel now faces apartheid allegations from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch as well as B’Tselem. The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates alleged war crimes in Gaza, while the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement gains momentum on campuses worldwide. For American Jews, this isolation is agonising. The myth of Israel as a safe haven collides with the reality of checkpoints, home demolitions and segregated roads. Younger Jews, steeped in ancestral trauma, draw parallels between Palestinian displacement and their own history of persecution. A 2022 survey found that 25 per cent of US Jews under 35 oppose Israel’s existence as a specifically Jewish state, a once-unthinkable stance.
Netanyahu’s policies accelerate this crisis.
His reliance on ultra-Orthodox parties marginalises non-Orthodox Jews, who face discrimination in marriage and conversion laws. His prioritisation of military strikes over hostage negotiations in Gaza further stains Israel’s humanitarian image.
Ukraine’s abandonment by the US sends a dire warning. Initially lavished with US weapons, Kyiv now begs Europe for air defences as Republican support evaporates. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, once celebrated in Congress, embodies the peril of transactional alliances: they dissolve when interests shift.
Israel is not immune to this. Trump’s “America First” policy lavished Netanyahu with embassy moves and peace plans favouring annexation, but loyalty hinged on utility. A second Trump term could see Israel discarded if it clashes with the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement’s priorities.
The occupation state thus stands at a crossroads. Its lobbying machine remains formidable, but its moral capital is bankrupt. American Jews, once bedrock allies, increasingly reject tribal solidarity for universal justice. The rise of domestic-focused nationalism further strains the bond, as younger Jews prioritise inequality and climate change over overseas conflicts.
The parallels to Ukraine are unmistakable. Just as Kyiv’s aid dried up when US. priorities shifted, Israel risks obsolescence if it loses the support of American Jews and, eventually, US sponsorship. Observing the current Israeli trajectory, it is not unthinkable for Israel to join the ranks of abandoned US allies, a fate foreshadowed by Kissinger and exemplified by Ukraine’s anguish.
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The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.