- September 24, 2024
- 8:52 pm
- World News
Article published in Jerusalem Strategic Tribuneis dedicated to the deep partisan divisions in the United States that affect support for two key conflicts – Israel and Ukraine.
Jerusalem Strategic Tribune (USA) is an analytical publication that specializes in international relations, security, and strategic analysis related to Israel and global trends. It is an important platform for discussing political and military issues related to both the Middle East and world politics in general.
The author of the article is Michael Mandelbaum (Michael Mandelbaum), Christian A. Herter Distinguished Service Professor of American Foreign Policy at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Mandelbaum is also the author of The Titans of the Twentieth Century: How They Made History and the History They Made, published by Oxford University Press. In his book, he examines the influence of such historical figures as Woodrow Wilson, Lenin, Hitler, Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, Gandhi, Ben Gurion, and Mao.
Michael Mandelbaum's article in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune examines how partisan differences in the United States affect support for two key military conflicts: Israel's war against Hamas and Ukraine's war against Russia. Mandelbaum notes that Republicans largely support Israel in its defensive war in Gaza, while Democrats provide less support. At the same time, Democrats are firmly in favor of helping Ukraine in its fight against Russia, supporting President Joe Biden's position, while some Republicans oppose continued military aid to Kyiv.
Mandelbaum finds this political division odd and inappropriate. He argues that those who support Israel should also support Ukraine, and vice versa, because the two countries are fighting similar wars. Both are about defending sovereign states from aggression—Hamas and Russia seek to destroy Israel and Ukraine as independent countries. Both conflicts are not just about the survival of these nations, but also of democracies confronting authoritarian regimes.
The author also draws parallels with history. He points out that the aggressors in these conflicts wage their wars with brutal methods, killing civilians and committing war crimes. In both cases, Hamas and Russia grossly violate international laws and civilized norms that the United States has traditionally supported.
Mandelbaum emphasizes the important strategic role of the United States in both conflicts. He compares contemporary American policy to the British strategy of “external balance,” in which Britain in the past supported countries resisting hegemonic powers in Europe by providing financial aid without directly engaging in military action. Today, the United States is similarly assisting Ukraine and Israel, providing weapons and political support but not sending troops.
In addition, the author notes that Hamas acts as a proxy for Iran, which seeks to dominate the Middle East, just as Russia seeks to assert its dominance in Europe. Both regimes want to push the United States out of their regions, and the successful defense of Israel and Ukraine is essential to protecting Western interests and values.
Mandelbaum also criticizes common arguments against supporting Israel and Ukraine. In regard to Israel, some claim that the country's military actions cause disproportionate harm to Palestinian civilians, but the author considers these accusations baseless. He notes that the data on civilian deaths comes from Hamas, which manipulates the numbers and also uses civilian infrastructure to conduct military operations, which leads to casualties. According to experts, Israel takes unprecedented measures to minimize civilian deaths, even more than the United States did during its operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As for Ukraine, Mandelbaum dismisses concerns that backing Kyiv will lead to a nuclear war with Russia. He notes that during the Cold War, the United States successfully contained the Soviet Union with nuclear deterrence, without giving in to its demands. He also argues that withholding aid from Ukraine could, on the contrary, increase the risk of a nuclear conflict if Putin decides to attack other European countries.
The author concludes by criticizing the idea that supporting Israel and Ukraine diverts resources from confronting China, which is seen as the West’s main threat. He argues that a defeat for Israel or Ukraine would signal weakness to the United States and its allies, which would only encourage China to take aggressive action, such as attacking Taiwan.
Mandelbaum insists that Western democracies have the resources to protect their interests in the Middle East, Europe and East Asia. But the success of these efforts depends on U.S. leadership and the consolidation of American society in support of Israel and Ukraine. He calls on the next U.S. president restore bipartisan support for the foreign policy that was key to America's successes during World War II and the Cold War.
