The Democratic National Convention featured numerous prominent speakers and musical performances that focused exclusively on unity and the path to a more hopeful future.
But that cheer is marred by a split within the Democratic Party over Israel’s war in Gaza. Some delegates called on Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris to support a halt to U.S. military aid to Israel.
While the pro-Palestinian protests surrounding the convention were much smaller than some had expected, Chicago police arrested at least 72 pro-Palestinian protesters on August 20, 2024.
These activists are calling for a US arms embargo against Israel, but such a ban is not included in the Democratic Party’s new national platform.
Amy Lieberman, political editor of The Conversation US, spoke with Dov Waxman, an Israel expert, to better understand the background of the US relationship with Israel and the strategic reasons why an arms embargo is a remote possibility at best.
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Do you think Kamala Harris will agree to calls for an arms embargo against Israel?
I do not think she will agree with those who call for an arms embargo against Israel.
First, Kamala Harris, as Vice President and before that as Senator, has always supported American military aid to Israel. This attitude is typical of most members of the Democratic Party and also of most Republicans.
Opponents of US military aid to Israel often argue that this aid is solely a function of domestic politics and reflects the power of the pro-Israel lobby, particularly AIPAC. I think this view is short-sighted and exaggerates the power of the pro-Israel lobby. It ignores the fact that the US has its own economic and strategic reasons for providing this military aid. It is a US national interest, not just a favor to Israel, and that is why there is broad, bipartisan support for continuing this military aid.
Although an arms embargo is unrealistic, there are other options that are more realistic than an arms embargo, such as conditioning or restricting military aid – and this is increasingly being debated among Democratic lawmakers.
How does U.S. aid to Israel help the United States domestically?
When the United States gives Israel military aid, the Israeli government does not pocket the money itself. The vast majority of the money the United States gives Israel each year must be spent on American weapons. This is generally true of American military aid to other countries, such as Ukraine.
The American weapons that Israel buys are produced in factories all over the United States, so many American politicians have an interest in maintaining this aid because the money ultimately flows to their own states and creates jobs there.
What was US aid to Israel like in the past before the Gaza war?
Historically, Israel has received more U.S. foreign aid than any other country. In total, the United States has provided Israel with over $300 billion (adjusted for inflation).
In the first decade after the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the United States initially only provided economic aid to the country. However, starting in the 1960s, during the Kennedy administration, it began to provide military aid to the country. Today, the United States only provides military aid to Israel.
Following Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War, when Israel demonstrated its ability to decisively defeat Soviet allies in the region, the United States significantly increased its military aid to Israel. This was in many ways a turning point for U.S.-Israel relations, as the United States has viewed Israel as a valuable ally ever since.
Another significant increase in US military aid to Israel occurred under the Nixon administration in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This is notable because Nixon was not a great friend of the Jewish people. But he increased US aid to Israel because of its strategic interest for the US.
Since then, US military aid has increased steadily over the years, increasing even further last year following the Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza.
I think the main reason for this continued military aid to Israel under both Democratic and Republican administrations is that it serves the US national interest.
To what extent does US aid to Israel serve America’s national interests?
A militarily strong Israel helps the USA in the fight against their common enemies.
During the Cold War, Israel helped contain the spread of Soviet influence in the Middle East. For example, after Israel defeated Egypt in the wars of 1967 and 1973, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat left the Soviet alliance and allied himself with the United States, ushering in a long period of American hegemony in the region.
After the Soviet threat diminished following the end of the Cold War, Israel’s strategic value to the United States declined. However, after the September 11 terrorist attacks, it rose again because of Israel’s long experience in counterterrorism and its much-vaunted intelligence-gathering capabilities.
More recently, for about a decade, Israel has worked with the US to counter the expansion of Iranian influence in the region and slow down Iran’s nuclear program. Although the two allies have differed on tactical issues – particularly regarding the 2015 Iran nuclear deal – both view Iran’s growing power in the region as the biggest threat to regional stability and want to prevent Iran from possessing nuclear weapons. For the US, a militarily strong Israel is a necessity to prevent Iranian expansionism.
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Not only does Israel have the strongest military in the region, it is also the only long-standing democracy there – albeit one with serious flaws, in my view. From the US perspective, Israel can therefore help the US achieve its strategic goals in the region without the American military itself having to send troops there. Israel is also perceived as a more reliable and less problematic ally than the US’s other key allies in the region, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
Although Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and its war in Gaza have alienated and angered many Democrats, especially progressives, most Democratic policymakers, including Harris, still believe that supporting Israel is in the U.S. interest. And that the U.S. continues to see the best way to achieve that interest is to provide military aid to Israel.
The real question is whether the United States should exercise greater oversight or control over the use of American weapons.
