Is The Lobby The Main Reason For Western Support Of Israel?

 

Two writers discuss whether the lobby is the main reason Western states support Israel.

Canada and a range of other Western nations have offered Israel a level of uncritical support over the past few decades that is unseen in their relations with nearly any other country. This support has been maintained and strengthened in recent years as Israeli atrocities continue to amass. Even the ongoing genocide in Gaza has failed to make any significant material impact on the friendship these states have with Israel.

These facts will be disputed by few. The more contentious matter is not if a special relationship exists between these states and Israel, but why it does. 

Those who support Israel sometimes portray this relationship as being a reflection of the will of the people. A May article from right-wing publication Quillette, for example, argued that Israel is genuinely popular among the American public, and government policies are determined as a result of that supposed fact. Others argue that the relationship exists because these states all share common interests, and thus what is good for Israel is also good for the United States, Canada, and others. 

Those who oppose Israel, or at least the nature of the ties it maintains with Western states, have generally offered two different explanations for this relationship.  (more...)

Is The Lobby The Main Reason For Western Support Of Israel?