There’s a debate that goes like: America supports the Zionist cause because of strategic interest in the middle east, to test weaponry, to park aircraft, etc. The other side says America supports Zionism because of powerful lobbying from organizations like AIPAC and the ADL. Then I guess there’s a third explanation involving American evangelicals and their religious doctrines, along with their own lobbying and campaigning.
For me personally it seems like it’s all of those things at the same time, with perhaps strategic interest being the most pressing. I say that because of the multiple instances of the CIA discovering things like Israeli spying equipment in Washington DC, and yet nothing is done. There are literal Israeli intelligence assets working as aides to senators and nothing is done. I only ever see feds do that when they’ve been instructed something is off-limits.
I also know this wasn’t always the case, because people like Johnathan Pollard got thrown in jail. And I know the Bush Sr admin was less amicable. So what’s yall’s stance here
Both are definitely true, but I’d add another reason - that Israeli genocide is a keystone of US MIC funding. The US has given about $300bn of military aid to Israel over time. Compare to the US’ current annual military budget of ~$900 billion.
The US loves embezzling money to the military industrial complex for a whole other set of well-known reasons. Israel is a very good excuse to consistently fund the companies relevant to ongoing-war manufacturing consumable materiel like bombs. In between the US’ own military escapades of course.
Stop funding Israel, and you stop funding the weapons industry, and then weapons industry lobbyists scowl at you. Once you begin a vicious Government-Private dependent consumption relationship in capitalism, it’s often very damaging to stop.