Israel's security is America's security. Americans should not ignore that - opinion

With American newspapers, cable media, and family gatherings full of contentious debate for and against the disruptions of the first months of the Trump administration, Americans can be forgiven for pushing foreign policy and distant wars aside. However, Americans who think foreign affairs are not worth considering are mistaken.

Being engaged and informed strengthens the US’s national security. If we stop caring about what happens on distant shores, we will bear the costs in the future. 

Those who understand that having to deal with radical Islamism is not a choice realize the importance of supporting allies like Israel, which is at the frontline opposing jihadism. If there were no Israeli soldiers confronting jihadists, the chance for American boots on the ground would be much higher. 

American regional security interests and influence depend on Israel transforming its tactical victories against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran into strategic victories for regional stability.

If Israel is to remain strong against numerically superior enemies and shared adversaries, it needs to maintain not just a qualitative edge but also a unified, resilient, and cohesive society that can overcome difficult odds while fighting on seven fronts.

Israel has been fighting for eighteen months

Israelis are an extended family, literally fighting in their own backyards. The high motivation this generates is part of the Israeli ethos, allowing them to survive 18 months of war. However, the strong facade is being tested by the return of impassioned domestic turmoil. Much of the anger generated results from self-inflicted government choices as the country enters a critical juncture.  

The most consequential and needless act dividing the Israeli people is the attempted sacking of the attorney-general and the head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), most analogous to our FBI. 

This would be less controversial if the prime minister’s associates were not under investigation for allegedly accepting Qatari money from an American Qatari lobbyist during the war, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was not standing trial for improprieties.

The hypocrisy is that while Netanyahu refuses an inquiry into his government’s role in the October 7, 2023, surprise Hamas attack because the war is still ongoing, he is proceeding with judicial reform, bringing a contentious bill to the Knesset “to take political control of appointing judges.”

The prime minister’s weak hand in keeping his coalition together has given outsized leverage to smaller parties. The ultra-Orthodox, non-Zionist parties have not only extorted additional funding but have demanded that the price of remaining in the coalition be the continuation of an exemption for their draft-age young men from serving in any way in the army.

So why should Americans care?

America needs a strong Israel, and a divided Israeli citizenry weakens it, harms American negotiating efforts, and emboldens shared adversaries like Iran. It is up to the Israeli people to sort out their domestic problems. Still, when the nation of Israel was divided as it was before October 7 over contentious judicial reform, Israel’s enemies interpreted it as weakness.

As Israel and America are reaching a crucial point in dealing with an unrepentant Hamas, a weakened Hezbollah, and a vulnerable Iran, the last thing Israel needs is internal strife that contributes to regional destabilization.

During a recent “Call Me Back” podcast with American pundit Dan Senor discussing the return of domestic strife on the streets of Israel, his guest, Jerusalem Post columunist Seth J. Frantzman, was asked about the domestic turmoil. He said, “The coalition government is quite divisive while the country is divided.

Even during the war, Bibi is playing politics as he himself is on trial. It is hard to keep Israeli unity cohesive for so long… You have to save the state internally to save the state externally… A strong internal democracy will survive the war.”

Polls show public confidence is low

As an indication of the vulnerability of the coalition and the division of Israeli society, a Reichman University poll showed the current Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, whom Netanyahu wants to fire, has the confidence of 43% of the people vs just 17% confidence for the Netanyahu government.

An N12 poll revealed that two out of three Israelis fear for their democracy because of internal strife and government actions – a troubling barometer, whether justified or not. One in three of the supporters of the current coalition support Israel’s democracy.

According to Mosaic magazine, “A significant number of Israelis believe the prime minister does not have the prerogative to remove the head of the Shin Bet (considered a “professional” rather than “political” position). Complicating matters is the role of the attorney-general, who does not act as the government’s lawyer but as a representative of the judicial branch within the executive. 

“Amit Segal, an Israeli pundit known as a supporter of Netanyahu, argues that the prime minister has played his hand poorly… Instead of firing Bar at a more logical time, such as during the ceasefire… Netanyahu waited until the ceasefire itself was on the brink of collapse.” 

This is trouble not only for Israel but for America. Perhaps President Donald Trump can lean on Netanyahu and say, “Bibi, I really can really empathize with your political problems, but you are undermining our negotiations with Hamas, and soon with Tehran over their nuclear program. 

“So, take a break, prioritize your country’s cohesion for both of our benefits, and when Gaza and a nuclear Iran are dealt with, you can return to domestic housecleaning.” 

The writer is the senior security editor of The Jerusalem Report and the director of the Middle East Political Information Network (MEPIN).