Israel must 'open its eyes' as House votes on US-Israel aid, JCFA pres. tells 'Post' – interview

Dan Diker, President of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs, stated that Israel faces significant challenges from both Democratic and Republican parties in the US, following a House vote on an amendment to cut aid to Israel. Although the amendment was defeated 314 to 104, 103 Democrats and one Republican supported it, indicating a shift from previous near-unanimous support for Israel. Diker noted a “troubling direction” in Washington, with the Democratic Party moving left and a split within the Republican Party. He emphasized that Israel must “open its eyes very, very widely” to these challenges.

• Diker stressed that while the US remains Israel's most dependable ally, Israel must achieve independence in its military security and defense capabilities, a lesson learned from the October 7 massacre.
• He highlighted that a strong Israel, which Trump appreciates, can paradoxically lead to increased antisemitism in the West, where “strong is wrong, weak is right” is a prevailing sentiment.
• Diker asserted that Israel is on the “front lines of the war for Western civilization,” fighting to protect America from its enemies in the Middle East.
• Democratic Representatives Laura Gillen and Brad Sherman opposed the amendment, with Gillen calling it “extremely harmful” and Sherman stating it “sends a clear signal to the enemies of America that we are willing to abandon our allies.”