Michael B. Oren boldly declares, “There is no alliance in the world today more durable and multifaceted than that between the United States and Israel.” However, in the next paragraph, he complains that America has been a distant and unfriendly power throughout much of Israel’s history and that, by the start of the 80s, despite potent pro-Israel lobbying in Washington, an incomplete alliance had emerged between the two nations. Oren grumbles that the relationship has not been free of continuing frictions since then and he complains that, even today, America refuses to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. He then proposes that powerful interest groups lobby against Israel in Washington and that much of academia and ... More »

This opinion piece charts the American government's relationship with Israel. It's certainly a particular historical interpretation, but is fairly informative. Unfortunately, The author is disingenuous in not discussing the role of the pro-Israel lobby, especially when he attacks "Powerful interest groups lobby against Israel in Washington while much of American academia and influential segments of the media are staunchly opposed to any association with Israel."