In July, President Biden said in a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog: “If there wasn’t an Israel, we’d have to invent one“, and Jews around the world need to understand the implications of this revealing statement.

Jews have long been manipulated into thinking that it is they and their lobbies that have a strong influence on Washington; that Washington is, to some degree, under their control. Many non-Jews around the world have also been manipulated to believe the same. The narrative of a “powerful Jewish lobby” that “controls Western powers” is quite pervasive in many societies. While there is some truth to that narrative, it is only because Israel’s presence is seen as a strategic benefit for Western powers. What Jews need to understand is that Israel benefits Western powers much more than it benefits Jews. In fact, those who pay the highest price for the West’s insistence on the preservation of Israel are Palestinians and Jews.

The billions of American taxpayer dollars that go to Israel each year aren’t some sort of charity or gift that is given out of an emotional commitment. That money is actually a lucrative investment by the US that brings hefty returns. If there were no Israel, America would have to pay billions of dollars more for maintaining several aircraft carriers that would be needed in the region, only without the intelligence, weapons, and technology benefits that Israel provides in return.

Meanwhile, nearly all of the damage incurred upon Israeli Jews from having to contend with Palestinian and other regional enemies is suffered by those Israelis alone. America and its allies cheer on Israel and send all kinds of aid (as an investment, as they benefit greatly from Israeli services) but suffer almost none of the human and security losses suffered by Israeli Jews. At some point Jews need to start wondering if America would ever send its own soldiers to fight Palestinians on the ground instead of using Jews as canon fodder to preserve its interests. At some point, Jews need to ask themselves what it is exactly they are gaining from all of this.