The US Always Protects Israel – But Limits Israel’s Offensive Efforts
The same hands that embrace Israel warmly during times of war are also the hands that bind and limit it when the time comes to retaliate. Yes, the United States is Israel’s biggest supporter, but it is also its greatest restrainer. This paradox is not new; it has been a constant throughout Israel’s history—emerging most recently in the past year.
As an Israeli, I admire the American superpower that has saved the world for a century, spreading democracy and standing against tyrannical regimes. The US has resisted evil empires, from the Nazi monster to the Soviet Union’s communist beast. Without America, the world might have been divided between Hitler and Stalin.
Generations in Israel have grown up with respect for America, and rightly so. The United States has provided invaluable support, both militarily and diplomatically. But as we reflect on the present, it’s crucial to remember that this same United States has often been the one restraining Israel when it needed to strike back and secure decisive victories.
The Early Years: Limited Aid, Maximum Pressure
In 1948, as Israel fought for its survival in the War of Independence, the US did not provide weapons. Even on the night before the conquest of Judea and Samaria, the American ambassador, in tandem with his Russian counterpart, issued a veto, visiting Ben-Gurion at his home to pressure Israel. Similarly, during Operation Horev in 1948-49, American pressure led to the return of advancing Israeli forces from El-Arish in Sinai.
The pattern repeated in 1956 during the Suez Crisis. Once again, the US didn’t supply the weapons Israel needed to confront existential threats. The conflict ended with an American-Russian ultimatum, leading to Israel’s withdrawal from the Sinai Peninsula, setting the stage for renewed Egyptian aggression in 1967. Although Eisenhower promised a UN force would keep the peace in Sinai, it fled when war loomed. The US pledge to keep the Straits of Tiran open was also abandoned.
The Shift: Strategic Alliance and Conditional Support
The Six-Day War of 1967 marked a turning point in US-Israeli relations. After Israel’s sweeping victory, the US shifted to a more supportive stance, providing critical military aid. However, this support came with strings attached. From that point forward, the US exerted constant pressure on Israel to retreat from the territories it had captured in a defensive war—territories vital for its security.
President Johnson’s pre-war statement remains iconic: “Israel is not alone, unless it acts alone.” And act alone Israel did. However, after the victory, the US began its long tradition of limiting Israel’s strategic options, with one exception being President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights.
In the Yom Kippur War of 1973, Israel entered a new phase of dependency. American aid was indispensable, but so were the pressures for restraint. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger’s strategy, while focused on containing Soviet influence, also involved applying pressure on Israel. Reports indicate that on the morning of October 6, 1973, American hesitation prevented a preemptive Israeli strike that could have saved countless lives. While the US airlift of weapons eventually arrived, it was delayed by more than a week. When Israel was on the verge of defeating Egypt, Kissinger again intervened, forcing Israel to lift the siege on the Egyptian Third Army and agreeing to a ceasefire. His calm diplomacy pushed Russia out of the region, but it also stopped Israel from achieving a more decisive victory.
From Camp David to Saddam: US Pressure for Concessions
The peace treaty with Egypt in 1978 remains one of Israel’s greatest diplomatic achievements, but it came at a heavy price. President Jimmy Carter demanded full Israeli withdrawal from the Sinai and pressured Prime Minister Begin into agreeing to Palestinian autonomy—despite Begin’s fears that it would eventually lead to a Palestinian state.
In 1981, Begin acted without American approval when he ordered the strike on Iraq’s nuclear reactor. The US responded harshly, freezing arms shipments and condemning Israel at the United Nations. However, President Reagan later resumed the shipments, recognizing the operation’s long-term strategic value.
Fast forward to 1991, during the Gulf War. President George H.W. Bush urged Israel to show restraint after Iraq’s missile attacks on Tel Aviv, to preserve the international coalition. Prime Minister Shamir agreed, trusting that the US was shouldering the military burden in the region.
The Iranian Era: A New Level of Restraint
The emergence of Iran as a regional threat changed the dynamics dramatically. As US policy shifted after its military failures in Iraq and Afghanistan, American administrations pursued peace at any cost in the Middle East. This allowed Iran to grow into a dominant power, fostering instability in Yemen, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.
American pressure has consistently limited Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon. In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge, tensions between Israel and the Obama administration reached a peak, with delays in US weapons shipments.
Most recently, following the October 7, 2023 massacre, President Biden initially offered Israel full political and military support, for which the Israeli people are deeply grateful. But as Israel transitioned from defense to offense, familiar pressures returned. Biden urged restraint in Gaza and Lebanon, and even warned against escalating against Iran. He pressed for humanitarian aid to Gaza and blocked Israel’s strategic capture of Rafah and the Philadelphi route. Israel, once again, faced the familiar “carrot and stick” approach—support tempered by threats and delays in critical arms supplies.
A New Israel, Ready to Lead
The US remains fixated on maintaining a Middle Eastern stalemate, but Israel has changed. No longer content with defensive strategies, Israel is ready to deliver a decisive blow to the Iranian regime and its proxies. An Israeli victory, free from US military intervention, would benefit not only Israel but the world.
During World War II, the US didn’t settle for a “stalemate” with Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan—it sought total victory, culminating in the destruction of Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki. Israel is now prepared to do the same, but with its own forces. The US should not just allow it but actively support it.
Israel has moved beyond merely “playing for a tie.” It is ready to dismantle the Iranian threat and stabilize the region. All it needs is for the United States to stop standing in its way.