The United States was the first to stand by us and give Israel a warm hug after the murderous terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7. Since then, the Americans continue to provide us with generous economic and military aid, and just as importantly - also a political umbrella in the international arena, an arena that is cynical and even hostile to Israel.
American support and backing was and remains one of the foundational pillars of Israel's building of strength and security, and they contribute not only to our resilience but also to our ability to deter our enemies.
After all, without President Biden's explicit threats, it is possible that Hassan Nasrallah and his Iranian patrons would be tempted to expand the borders and scope of the conflict they are waging with us.
But the other side of the coin, and actually that American hug, is that it not only provides warmth and a sense of security, but also limits and narrows our steps, because the Americans hug us so tightly that we cannot break free from their embrace.
The Israeli leadership cannot be blamed for throwing itself into the arms of the Americans in a moment of distress, and perhaps a loss of temper.
But it is important to remember that Israel has always been careful to explain to these allies that its uniqueness and advantage is that, unlike Washington's other allies around the world, we do not need American soldiers to protect us from our enemies, and all Washington needs to do is maintain Israel's military advantage - and we already know how to fight the our war
Now the Americans rushed to send aircraft carriers to our area to protect us, and maybe even fight our war.
No wonder the Americans are working to limit Israel's freedom of maneuver and action.
They request that the IDF switch to low-intensity fighting in the Strip, refrain from clinging to it, and even demand the introduction of aid to the residents of the Strip, which allows Hamas to continue to maintain its rule there. .
What should be troubling is not the mere existence of differences of opinion or even disagreements between members, but the fact that they are based on a long-standing American view that looks at the region and its problems with Western eyes, as if Palestinian society, and in fact all Arab societies, are Western societies whose values are Western values.
And what is more important is that the logic guiding them and their leaders is Western logic.
Because of this, the Americans pressured Israel to agree that Hamas would run in the Palestinian Authority elections in 2006, hoping that this would lead to its moderation, and therefore also demanded that Israel not damage Lebanese infrastructure in the Second Lebanon War, thereby denying us the victory that would have prevented Hezbollah from becoming such a significant threat to Israel.
That's why they enthusiastically supported the Arab Spring revolutions, while now they blame the Palestinian Authority and the Lebanese government as the ones who suppressed Hamas and Hezbollah.
What should be troubling is not the mere existence of differences of opinion or even disagreements between friends, but the fact that at their base is a long-standing American vision that looks at the region and its problems through Western eyes
Israel paid the price, and will continue to pay in the future - as well as Washington's other allies in the region.
One can only hope that the Americans are aware that the war on Hamas this time has global consequences that will affect Washington's position in other parts of the world.
After all, Israel's failure to achieve the goals of the war will be perceived by the world as an American failure, and will give leeway to all those who seek to challenge the United States and threaten its allies around the world, starting with China and North Korea and ending with Russia.
Friendship with the United States is an asset that we must guard at all costs, but the Americans will value us more if we stand our ground, and in the end will thank us when it becomes clear to them that Israeli determination will serve them as well. This is what happened when we bombed the atomic reactor in Iraq in June 1981. The Americans strongly condemned the The attack, and only a decade later, when they went to fight Saddam Hussein after he invaded Kuwait, did they recognize their mistake.
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