By Armando Simón
I had been suspecting something of the sort for some time, but I was still shocked to learn the numbers. It doesn’t look good for Israel.
According to the Pew Research Center, 57% of Republicans aged 18-49 view Israel “unfavorably,” while 24% of Republicans 50 and over also view the country “unfavorably,” which means that, although the older Republicans view that country in a good light, they will eventually die out, to be replaced by a new cohort of Republicans who see no reason for giving it unlimited aid without question to Israel, as has been the case to date. It is much worse with Democrats, 84% aged 18-49 with 76% 50 and over. I talk with a wide variety of people, and I have noticed the same trend. And Democrat politicians are not far behind.
“So what?”
Well, simply put, think of the future. Without the United States, Israel would cease to exist, whether militarily or economically. The US is its only ally. That is a fact.
Let us be brutally honest. We have to face facts, as distasteful as they might be. Israel has no natural resources, especially oil for its military, and no significant industry. The whole region (Israel, Jordan, Sinai, the West Bank) is essentially a wasteland. We used to laugh at the fact that Cuba was kept afloat by the Soviet Union at a million dollar per day. In 2025, the US sent Israel approximately 8 billion dollars in aid, a typical yearly amount. That means that it got $21, 917, 808 a day. If Israel is prosperous today, frankly, this is why.
And Americans who do not even hate Israel, are asking a very simple question: Why? What do we get out of that?
Because right now, with America being trillions of dollars in national debt, some Republicans demand an overdue cost-cutting crusade, determined to do away with the travesty called “foreign aid” that has resulted in 2/3 of the world being on America’s welfare roll (Read!). Many Americans want to dislodge all of these hemorrhaging disbursements. As with Israel, Americans ask of foreign aid in general, Why? What do we get out of it?
Just as bad is the perception of arrogance in Netanyahu (and some other Israeli officials) when dealing with the United States. In conducting joint military action, sometimes the American government will ask Israel not to attack certain places, or at all, only to be undercut by Netanyahu ordering strikes anyway, to the irritation of American officials. It could be argued that it is not arrogance, but it nevertheless sometimes comes across that way.
One would think that America was dependent on Israel and not the other way around.
The rise in anti-Semitism
Financial aid aside, there has been an alarming rise in anti-Semitism in both Europe and North America. This means the hostility is not just towards the country, but also against Jews. There are several reasons for this upsurge.
During Trump’s first term, highly placed leftist Jews in America embraced DIE (Diversity Inclusiveness Equity), which had the predictable result of encouraging racist, vicious assaults by blacks on whites. And on Asians. And on Jews. Anti-Semitism in blacks was the result. Which shattered the idiotic fantasy of a Jew-Black solidarity front. Attacks on Jews escalated the year after October 7th whereupon there was a noticeable reversal of DEI efforts.
When Trump won the 2016 election, leftist Jews, like all other leftists, went into hysterics. Starting in 2017, when Trump blocked immigrants from Muslim countries in order to cut down terrorism (successfully so), many American Jews went on a binge of virtue signaling by condemning the “racism.” Even though they knew that the Muslim savages wanted to cut their throats if they had the chance, leftist Jews did everything possible to import as many Muslims as possible, numbering in the tens of thousands, assuming a benevolent posture as they sabotaged Trump. In recent years we have seen the results of their actions; the Muslims have trumpeted calls for the extermination of Israel and of Jews. And they have engaged in propaganda, picturing themselves as being the victims of “the evil Jew.”
Believe it or not, many of these Marxist Jews refuse to see their own role in the rise of anti-Semitism due to Muslim immigration while simultaneously decrying the anti-Semitism, even blaming Trump for it! In fact, they are still trying hard to stop the deportation of Muslims.
Far worse are what I call the Masada Jews. These Jews hate other Jews and actively wish to destroy Israel (and America), not through violence, but with psychological warfare and theatrics, posturing as syrupy promoters of peace, universal brotherhood and humanitarianism so persistent that they wear down the morale.
Unfortunately, other Jews in America have not condemned their insane counterparts nor tried to block them in any manner. Apparently, there is some unspoken, unwritten law somewhere in America that nonleftist Jews may not attack other Jews, even if not doing so results in all of them being murdered by Muslims.
Lastly, the incursion into Gaza, no matter how justified, has been a public relations disaster. The atrocities of October 7th should have been widely disseminated in Europe and North America; there was a reluctance to do so. Most people are still ignorant of the disgusting, gruesome details. Worse, much worse, there was little noticeable attempt to counter the propaganda coming out of Gaza every day—and the propaganda was very effective. It turned many Americans against Israel.
I do not believe that the trend cannot be reversed. But, considering all the above factors, it will require a change in attitude on the part of Israel and on the part of many American Jews.
Armando Simón is a retired psychologist, the author of The Transgender Cult: Psychology, Politics, Religion and the Media and When Evolution Stops.
8 Responses
What a nasty, miserable, cynical, negative, and utterly ignorant thing this is.
How many factual errors are contained in this thing? Many! Just a few are provided below.
The author claims that the United States is Israel’s only ally. The author writes with false authority that this “is a fact.” The author knows nothing of Israel’s relationship with Argentina, Hungary, India, the Syrian Druze and many others. WRONG. PATHETIC LIE.
The author wrote: “The US is its only ally. That is a fact.” WRONG.
The author wrote: “Israel has no natural resources, especially oil for its military, and no significant industry.” The author is ignorant of Israel’s booming economy, its offshore oil, its exploration for oil within its borders? Its leadership in military equipment development, technology, software, and manufacturing. The author never heard of Iron Dome, David’s Sling, etc. PATHETIC FAIL.
The troubled, ignorant author wrote: “The whole region (Israel, Jordan, Sinai, the West Bank) is essentially a wasteland.” This is such an egregiously ignorant statement that the reader has to wonder if the entire article is in jest, some sort of vile satire, or worse. EPIC FAIL.
The author concludes this malicious vile thing with this stupid junk: “I do not believe that the trend cannot be reversed. But, considering all the above factors, it will require a change in attitude on the part of Israel and on the part of many American Jews.”
Israel as with other countries has a right to defend itself. That is exactly what it is doing. The author apparently thinks that this act of national self-defense in an existential war is indicative of an attitude problem on the part of Israel that “require(s) a change.” 100% FAIL.
The author’s repellent characterization of Israel as a recipient of American money for which the USA receives nothing is an anti-Israel trope. It’s a lie. Israel is the greatest ally of the United States. The cooperation seen between Israel and the United States in this entirely necessary war against the most evil country on the planet (Iran) is unprecedented. The world sees the abandonment of the United States by its fake failed loser false ungrateful “allies” of NATO; it also sees the loyalty and power and effectiveness of Israel as our greatest ally by far superior to any failed NATO false ally. Yet, this author in this vile thing criticizes Israel as a take-all, and give-nothing back thief and false ally. TOTAL FAIL.
This is perhaps one of the most repellent failed vile things I’ve read in New English Review, ever. Utterly revolting.
Excellent rebuff, “Deathocrat”!!!
As I read this utterly ignorant piece, I was thinking, “Where do I start?”
Then I came upon your piece…
There are about 54 countries/civilizations that were taken over and wrecked by the Muslim hordes, and nobody blinks. The current State of Israel is essentially a mere shadow of what it used to be a couple of millennia ago, and Israel’s quest to become more and more independent of the “rest of the world” is a very small step toward changing this to some extent. Time will tell.
This comment by “Not A Deathocrat” regarding Simón’s article is ON-TARGET. The author of the article leads with a premise based on a Pew survey which may, or may not be, factual. Questions’ context in the survey are important and this may be over-simplified analysis. However, many broad and unsubstantiated assertions follow. The gist is that the U.S. gets nothing from our relationship with Israel. “Not A Deathocrat” points out several major fallacies in the false argument. Of note, we get many extremely important defense related benefits including shared intelligence and technology. The fact that Netanyahu advocates for his national interest, not necessarily American interests, should be no surprise! Israel is surrounded by many unfriendly countries that have attacked it numerous times. They must do what they have to do to survive and sometimes it has nothing to do with American interests. That is just a tough fact of life.
The piece is certainly inaccurate in many ways. Israel has some other alliances and impressive technological achievements (though as noted not much in the way of natural resources) and has largely managed to make a garden out of its “wasteland,” that America also benefits from the alliance, and that Netanyahu’s occasional resistance to Trump’s orders is not arrogance but necessary self-defense. The author really could have spared us some unjustified denigration and could have written in a pleasanter tone. However, Israel’s current dependency on American military aid is unfortunately a fact and is partly responsible for many decisions against Israel’s interests (like the serial cease-fires that always come just when we seem on the verge of victory). And the specter of erosion of support for Israel among the American people can’t just be waved away, even if the Pew survey may represent some wishful thinking on the part of a media establishment which has worked steadily for some years toward said erosion of support. American Jews and friends of Israel need to be more alarmed and more determined to find some counter-strategy. Shooting the messenger, however impolite, is not a counter-strategy.
I think the author points out some salient issues. The latter, I think, should be discussed first. Since their exodus from Egypt the Jews have been divided in their adherence to their destiny as occupants of the Promised Land. This would seem to be as true now as it was then. Even following the October 17th massacre, Jews are divided as to whether the response should be scorched earth (as was decreed by God in the Old Testament) or negotiation following reprisal. As for foriegn aid, I would think we get more value from our dollar from aid to Israel than aid to any other nation I can think of. We get a fabulous proxy military established halfway around the world to monitor and hold back Islam – which is an enemy of Western Civilization (and every other one) elsewhere. We get intelligence and technology. Meanwhile they have built a garden from some very hard, dry soil. They are the holdout of morals in a part of the world quite hostile to them.
My, my, the above hysterical chauvinism was intimidating in reading the above. They really need to take a valium.
I sincerely hope the Pew survey is inaccurate, but if it is accurate, it still poses a real problem. You can, of course, bury your head in the sand.
As for Israel’s “allies” other than America, there are allies and then there are allies. Argentina, Hungary and India may issue verbal support, but that is it. And I suspect that they may do so at the request of the US rather than inherent sympathy for Israel.
As for Netanyahu, many Jews dislike him intensely while others see him as a Messiah. Either way, he definitely has some irritating character flaws.
Last year, Israel got from the US $8 billion. That is a fact. Likewise, the year before. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the year— So if Israel “made the desert bloom” in certain patches, and if Israel has achieved impressive technological advances, this has been because a constant torrent of American money flowing in. Give me $8 billion/year for seven decades and I, too, will make the Mohave Desert bloom.
Israelis’ bombastic proclamation that they “made the desert bloom” reminds me of the equally bombastic declaration of the Germans of “The German Miracle” where they supposedly rebuilt a civilization from the ruins all by themselves—without crediting the billions coming from the Marshall Plan. The crucial point I am making, which seems to have gone over the heads of the above hysterics, is that America’s support and assistance is absolutely vital to Israel’s existence. If, for whatever reasons, that flow is cut off in the future it will be only a matter of time until the country goes belly up. Hence, the reason to worry about the accuracy of the Pew survey.
It would also help to read what I wrote instead of what the above hysterics believe I wrote. First, I said there are people out there who question what do we get out of the never-ending aid? Not me. Other people. (Read)
I also did NOT write that Israel does not have a right to exist. And, as for the Muslim savages, anyone who has read some of my articles will verify, I hate them with every fiber of my being.
Additionally, I notice that none of the hysterical critics above said anything about the Jews that are very hostile to Israel, as well as other Jews. Those are the ones where the critics’ anger should really be directed to. They are more of a danger than someone who points out a problem and who dispels illusions.
“Let us be brutally honest. We have to face facts, as distasteful as they might be. Israel has no natural resources, especially oil for its military, and no significant industry.”
FACT: Israel has found over 30 trillion cu ft of natural gas in The Mediterranean and that is what powers their electrical generating plants and their fresh water desalaination plants. They have found so much they are exporting it to Egypt. There are more areas to be discovered and exploratory drilling continues. Currently it has 30 to 40 years of reserves.
FACT: The Shephelah Basin contains somewhere between 40 billion to 250 billion barrels of shale. That is located on land and teh ebvironmentalists has stopped its prodcution for. That is more oil than the US has in reserves.
FACT: Israel Foreign Exchange Reserves are approaching $250 billion while its scientists and businessmen have created the 2nd largest venture capital/high tech start up nation in the world only behind the US.
“It would also help to read what I wrote instead of what the above hysterics believe I wrote. First, I said there are people out there who question what do we get out of the never-ending aid? Not me. Other people. (Read)”
I read what you wrote and you need to do your homework.
I stand corrected.