Supporters of Israel. Demanding more from it 

As an Israeli who loves my country with all my heart, the thought of supporting the limitation of offensive weapon sales to Israel may seem contrary to the basic instinct of concern for the security of the state that I served as an IDF officer and diplomat. But precisely out of my love for Israel and concern for its future, I see yesterday’s resolution proposed in the American Senate as an important step in the struggle to maintain the security and identity of the State of Israel in the long term.

For decades, the relationship between Israel and the United States has been based on shared values, trust, and unwavering security support. This is an important partnership that continues to ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East, supported by all the senators who voted for the restriction and also a central issue on the agenda we promote at J Street. But precisely from that partnership, sometimes a pointed statement and an expression of American concern are required when Netanyahu’s policies contradict those shared values and endanger Israel’s future.

The State of Israel is experiencing a challenging security reality. External enemies, a constant threat from Iran and its proxies, and a deepening internal crisis. But the Netanyahu government’s attempt to conduct an endless war, sacrificing the hostages, exacts a heavy toll—not only in human lives but also on Israel’s morality and its isolation on the international stage. It is creating fertile ground for terrorism and causing long-term damage to the resilience of Israeli democracy.

In the face of multiple threats, the IDF must be strong, and the expectation from our US-led allies is to help the IDF maintain that qualitative edge in the region. But do the daily bombings of already destroyed neighborhoods in Gaza and the killing of women and children really strengthen the IDF – or actually weaken it?

It is permissible and important to distinguish between the force we need against Iran and the Israeli conduct in Gaza, which seems to be dictated by political rather than security interests. Netanyahu’s policy in Gaza leads us to a dead end of occupation and settlements; those who assist in its advancement are digging the grave, not only for the hostages, the soldiers and innocent Gazans, but for the Jewish and democratic State of Israel.

When the statement that Israel’s military capabilities in Gaza have been exhausted and there is a concern that the government is leading towards a future of military rule in the Strip comes from Yoav Galant, the Minister of Defense until two weeks ago, it is our duty to take it seriously. To think whether the current policy, which continues to claim the lives of Israeli soldiers and many Palestinians, most of whom are innocent civilians, truly serves Israel’s security?

Israel’s security interests require military means but also responsible diplomacy and a pursuit of regional stability. It is impossible to ensure a prosperous future for a country that continues to wallow in an endless cycle of fighting. As an Israeli, I want my country to be capable of ensuring true security for its citizens not only today, but also for generations to come.

The purpose of the Senate resolution, which received the support of 19 Democratic senators and was promoted by J Street, was to send a message to the Israeli government: Good friends expect it to take responsibility and take the necessary steps to end the war that exhausted its purpose. This is not a call against Israel; it is a call for its future.

It is also important to remember that these senators were elected to serve American interests. That is true as well of J Street, which represents American Jews. They rightly feel that there should be a protest against the administration’s stance of allowing Netanyahu a “blank check” for a war that harms American interests and values. In their view, Biden had an excellent plan for the U.S. and Israel, but Netanyahu sabotaged it to maintain the alliance with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and to help Trump get elected. They also chose to send a message to President Biden not to let Netanyahu determine what the American interest is.

It pained me to see my country assist Azerbaijan with weapons to carry out ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh alongside Erdoğan’s support, and I completely understand the senators who do not want American weapons to be used to promote the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which does not help Israel’s security and harms American interests.

The senators who voted in favor of expressing criticism regarding the sale of some of the munitions approved in the Senate, want, like us, to end the war and the ongoing erosion of the resilience of Israeli democracy that Netanyahu’s policies are leading. It pains them and us to see the neglect of the 101 hostages, who the government has abandoned. Their desire to conquer and settle in Gaza appears to have taken precedence over their release from captivity.

So yes, J Street supported the resolution in the Senate. Because being pro-Israel does not mean supporting every action or policy of the right-wing government in full. It is precisely out of true love for the country that we must stand against policies that endanger its future. We knew that the resolution was not expected to pass, but it carried an important message that needed to be sent to the Israeli government from our closest friends – we support Israel, but we demand more from it.