Play stupid games, win stupid prizes: The geopolitical edition

Growing up, one of the highlights of my childhood was gathering around the table with my family to play Risk. The anticipation was electric as we laid out the board, each of us plotting world domination with the kind of intensity usually reserved for actual military strategists (or at least overly competitive middle schoolers).

Every game, the same personalities emerged. There was the kamikaze player, barreling into battle like a toddler on a sugar high—bold, reckless, and almost certainly doomed. Then there was the slow-and-steady strategist, quietly amassing troops like some kind of territorial hoarder, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. And, of course, there was the big talker—the one with grandiose speeches about unity and long-term plans, who somehow always ended up eliminated first (you know who you are).

It didn’t take long to learn the most crucial lesson of Risk: if you play alone, you lose. Alliances—whether genuine or temporary—were the only way to survive. The players who refused to make deals, insisting they could go solo, usually found themselves wiped off the board, betrayed by their own stubbornness.

Now, if only some world leaders had played a little more Risk as kids. Because the same principle applies in global politics.

For Israel, alliances are not just beneficial—they are essential to survival. And no alliance is more crucial than the one with the United States. This is not just about security cooperation or mutual interests. This is about shared values, and frankly, about common sense.

The United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles—the very same principles that shaped its Constitution, its legal system, and its fundamental beliefs in civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise. As John Adams once put it, “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize man than any other nation. If I were an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations.” That’s one of America’s Founding Fathers tipping his hat to Jewish civilization. The same civilization that, by the way, also introduced the radical idea that leaders should be held accountable to moral law. You’re welcome.

And yet, in a stunning display of historical amnesia, some voices in the U.S. are now questioning whether America should continue supporting Israel. To those people, I’d ask: Have you looked around at your other options? If not Israel, then who? China? Russia? Iran? Because those are the alternatives.

Let’s break it down. On one side, you have Israel and the democratic nations of the West—countries that value individual freedom, innovation, and, you know, not executing people for tweeting the wrong thing. On the other, you have authoritarian regimes that would love nothing more than to see America’s global influence crumble. The same nations that, while America debates whether to stand by its allies, are busy strategizing how to make sure it has fewer allies to stand by.

The balance of power is shifting, whether America likes it or not. If it abandons Israel, it’s not just leaving an ally in the lurch—it’s weakening itself. Israel isn’t just some small, distant country; it’s a leader in defense technology, intelligence, and cyber security—the very things keeping the modern world from spiraling into chaos. A strong Israel means a stronger West. And a stronger West means America keeps its place at the top of the board.

Look, in Risk, you can try to play the lone wolf. But ask anyone who’s actually won a game—it’s the alliances that make or break you. The question isn’t whether the U.S. should support Israel. The question is whether America wants to stand with those who share its values or let power shift to those who actively undermine them. Because in the end, not choosing a side is still a choice. And it’s usually the wrong one.

For Israel, the stakes have always been existential. For America, the cost of picking the wrong side might not be immediate, but make no mistake—it’s coming. And just like in Risk, if you sit too long without making a move, eventually, someone else decides the game for you.