It is no surprise that the US has chosen to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. The diplomatic Israel-US relationship over the past century has consisted of emphatic one-sided US support towards Israel. The US has and continues to provide Israel with military and financial support, sympathy, and defense in the United Nations (Walt & Mersheimer 39). Why the US continues to unconditionally provide Israel with such support is blurred among varying constructed rationales. The most prominent rationale, as argued by Schechter, is that US relations with Israel are tight because Israel's legitimacy as a “democratic and Jewish state” (34). Other justifications do exist and aid in the promotion of pro-Israel beliefs. This notion is also not
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In 2016 Gallup conducted a telephone interview surveying 1,021 random American adults and 62% of the random contributors sympathized with Israel while only 15% supported Palestine (Saad 1). The vast majority of Americans promoting pro-Israel sentiments can be identified as the Israel Lobby. Walt and Mersheimer define the lobby as a “loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape U.S foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction” (What is the Israel Lobby 113). This definition recognizes that there are varying entities pushing for the well-being of Israel and although it is named the Israel ‘Lobby’, it is not exclusive to lobbyists. Members of the lobby, whether political activists, journalists, or regular citizens, share a primary goal and that is to encourage the prosperity of the Jewish state of Israel through their American discourses. However, what they determine is the best way for Israel to achieve such terms of …show more content…
The pro-Israel sentiment is not just demonstrated by the lobby but is widespread among typical US citizens (Rynhold 32). Undoubting support by the public for Israel is majorly constructed by the inordinate pro-Israel stance in the media. The Israel-lobby is very powerful in steering the media to depict Israel through positive perspectives and critics of Israel in negative perspectives (Dominating Public Discourse 169). Manipulation of the media by the lobby evidently sensors out anti-Israel semitism. This is present in both U.S and Israel media platforms as Arab and leftist voices are featured far less on the news (Schechter 38). When these commentators are mentioned on the news, they are put under harsh criticism by pro-Israel identities in the media. For example, in response to European support for Palestine, American media proprietor and pro-Israel Mortimer Zuckerman went so far as to degrade Europe as “sick again” (Dominating Public Discourse 188). Under the circumstances that such an actor holds powerful influence in the media, such demonization of Palestine and supporters by him substantially reinforces support for Israel among the US
In 2016 Gallup conducted a telephone interview surveying 1,021 random American adults and 62% of the random contributors sympathized with Israel while only 15% supported Palestine (Saad 1). The vast majority of Americans promoting pro-Israel sentiments can be identified as the Israel Lobby. Walt and Mersheimer define the lobby as a “loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape U.S foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction” (What is the Israel Lobby 113). This definition recognizes that there are varying entities pushing for the well-being of Israel and although it is named the Israel ‘Lobby’, it is not exclusive to lobbyists. Members of the lobby, whether political activists, journalists, or regular citizens, share a primary goal and that is to encourage the prosperity of the Jewish state of Israel through their American discourses. However, what they determine is the best way for Israel to achieve such terms of …show more content…
The pro-Israel sentiment is not just demonstrated by the lobby but is widespread among typical US citizens (Rynhold 32). Undoubting support by the public for Israel is majorly constructed by the inordinate pro-Israel stance in the media. The Israel-lobby is very powerful in steering the media to depict Israel through positive perspectives and critics of Israel in negative perspectives (Dominating Public Discourse 169). Manipulation of the media by the lobby evidently sensors out anti-Israel semitism. This is present in both U.S and Israel media platforms as Arab and leftist voices are featured far less on the news (Schechter 38). When these commentators are mentioned on the news, they are put under harsh criticism by pro-Israel identities in the media. For example, in response to European support for Palestine, American media proprietor and pro-Israel Mortimer Zuckerman went so far as to degrade Europe as “sick again” (Dominating Public Discourse 188). Under the circumstances that such an actor holds powerful influence in the media, such demonization of Palestine and supporters by him substantially reinforces support for Israel among the US