As the third year of the Israeli aggression on Gaza begins, political and societal debate in the United States heats up and becomes more polarized over Israel’s importance to American interests in the Middle East and globally.

Under the administrations of former Democratic President Joe Biden and current Republican President Donald Trump, both of whom have offered unconditional military, diplomatic, and financial support to Israel amid the Gaza war of extermination, voices opposing these policies have emerged within both parties. Meanwhile, Israel supporters seize every opportunity to justify what they see as deep alignment of values and interests between the two sides.

Many progressive left-wing Democrats call for scaling back relations with Israel and halting arms exports, with some demanding recognition of the Palestinian state, as recently done by key Washington allies such as the UK, Canada, and France.

Simultaneously, the Republican camp is shaken by challenges from some of its most influential figures, notably the famous media personality Tucker Carlson and right-wing Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who question the special relationship between Tel Aviv and Washington.

Conversely, on the second anniversary of the “October 7” events, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled “America’s Debts to Israel,” in which authors Ray Takeyh from the Council on Foreign Relations and Roel Mark Jerricht from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies emphasized the need for U.S. gratitude for Israel’s service to Washington’s interests.

“Ongoing Humiliation”

On his private channel, broadcast on X and YouTube with millions of followers, Tucker Carlson launched a fierce attack on Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 2, criticizing the repeated claims of Israel’s importance to the U.S.

Carlson condemned American politicians for supporting Israel, describing the U.S.-Israel relationship as “toxic,” blaming U.S. leaders for enduring “this ongoing humiliation for decades.”

He argued that U.S. leaders serve Israeli interests at the expense of their own country, calling Israel a “rogue state outside the law committing massive war crimes, killing innocent civilians including children, women, and the elderly.”

Carlson also accused Israel of interfering in U.S. politics and pushing the U.S. into costly wars in the Middle East. He argued that the real divide in U.S. politics is not between supporters and opponents of Israel, but between war advocates and peacemakers.

He questioned Israel as a “small state” with a population under 9 million, smaller than Maryland, and a GDP less than that of a small U.S. state like New Jersey.

Carlson called for criminalizing American Jews serving in the Israeli military, questioning why they don’t serve the U.S. military. He revealed that during the Israel-Iran conflict days, Israeli military officers were present at the Pentagon, angering their American counterparts due to their continuous interference and issuing of orders.

He doubted the official Israeli narrative of the “October 7” attack, questioning why it was so quickly established, and asserted that “Israeli suffering” receives disproportionate attention compared to Palestinian suffering, especially regarding the killing and starving of innocent young children.

He denied any Christian religious obligation to support Israel and mocked claims that “pleasing God comes from pleasing the Jews.”

America’s Poor Come First

Since mid-year, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a close ally of President Trump, has changed her stance on Israel and the Gaza aggression.

Previously a strong supporter of Israel for years, she reversed her position to attack military actions carried out by the Trump administration on Israel’s behalf, especially the airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities.

Greene described Israel’s actions as genocide and became, since July, the first Republican Congress member to use the term “genocide.”

She called for stopping U.S. aid to Israel and led failed efforts to ban the export of $500 million worth of U.S. military funding to Israel, specifically targeting the Iron Dome missile defense system.

She linked the need to halt all U.S. aid to the Gaza conflict, saying American taxpayers should not fund “genocide.”

Greene condemned Israel’s “starvation tactics” used to force Palestinians to leave Gaza, weakening and killing many in the process.

She tweeted on X, “Just as we spoke and sympathized with the victims and families of October 7, how can Americans not speak and sympathize with the masses of innocent children and civilians in Gaza?”

America’s Debts to Israel

In contrast, responding to rising currents attacking Israel’s importance to Washington on the second anniversary of the October 7 attack, Roel Mark Jerricht and Ray Takeyh wrote an article criticizing those who doubt “Israel’s value to U.S. interests” in the Middle East and worldwide.

They argued that after two years of the “October 7 atrocities,” the United States should be grateful to Israel.

They noted that Israel has been weakening America’s enemies one by one, starting with Hamas, then Mossad dismantled Hezbollah, contributing to the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Damascus, then Israel severely damaged Iran’s nuclear program and killed dozens of its generals and scientists.

They asked, “Will Washington have the understanding and strong resolve to stand by an ally that has repeatedly enhanced America’s influence throughout the Middle East and beyond?”