The Not-So-Special Relationship

In 2023, writers Jacob Siegel and Liel Leibovitz of Tablet magazine published a piece called “End U.S. Aid to Israel.” It’s usually an argument you hear from Israel’s fiercest critics. But this time it was coming from two supporters of the Jewish state who had concluded that U.S. aid now did Israel more harm than good: what looks like a gift actually comes with strings that distort politics in both countries and limit Israel’s ability to defend itself the way its own leaders see fit. It was a prescient case that is growing more popular in Israel. Earlier this summer, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed the idea of phasing out U.S. military aid to Israel.

In the years since Jacob and Liel first made their argument, U.S. public opinion has soured on Israel. The two countries, it seems, are drifting further apart. This month, with the Iran war stalled and President Donald Trump pushing a Gaza peace plan that’s heavy on promises but light on details, Siegel returned to the subject in a new essay, arguing that this growing distance between the allies isn’t just inevitable, but welcome. Jacob’s essay bites the bullet and, whether or not you agree with it, says something fresh and thought-provoking. That kind of writing is always welcome in these pages, but especially when the subject is one where bad faith and wrongheaded arguments have come to dominate the conversation. We are proud to reprint Jacob’s essay below. —The Editors

The wild swings in the U.S.-Israel alliance over two Trump administrations belie a clear trend. Half a century after being formed against the backdrop of the Cold War, the “special relationship” is coming apart. The Israeli and American military establishments are closer than ever, yet the estrangement between their countries’ political elites grows. Despite the great hopes many Israelis had for his presidency, Donald Trump’s unusually strong ties to Israel have not reversed this trend. Support for Israel remains strong among Trump’s base, but a rising faction of Republicans that includes Vice President J.D. Vance is converging with the baseline position of Democrats who see Israel as a political liability and are at pains to distance themselves from the alliance.

This is what supporters of Israel who see Donald Trump’s Iran deal as a betrayal have to bear in mind. The special relationship has run into the hard limits of America’s interests and political will. People refusing to face this reality imagine that if only the right adviser got into Trump’s ear, or if only Marco Rubio became the next president, all would be right again. While desperately casting about for an American savior, they have misread the moment.

A greater degree of separation between the United States and Israel is not only inevitable—it is desirable. Many supporters of Israel seem to be aware only of the significant challenges that this will create for the small country. They overlook the significant opportunities it presents for Israel’s growth.