From The Hill
A dangerous chain reaction is underway and it may only be beginning.
In the wake of U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, some U.S. officials and commentators have begun suggesting that Israel effectively drew the United States into the conflict. Israeli leaders, for their part, have openly celebrated American participation in the campaign.
Asking how closely Washington and Jerusalem coordinated their decisions — and whether Israeli actions influenced the path to this conflict — is essential if we are to grapple effectively with this moment. Having this kind of open debate is a basic responsibility in a democracy when a government decides to go to war.
At the same time, claims that Israel drew the U.S. into the war and Israeli leaders’ celebration of the joint campaign have created the conditions for a familiar chain reaction. Discussion of Israeli influence on U.S. policy may begin as geopolitical analysis, but the emphasis and impact can quickly shift when malevolent actors enter the conversation. The decision-making role and overall agency of American policymakers fade into the background while Jews, broadly defined, become the implied instigators of all war and violence.
History tells us where that logic can lead. The idea that Jews manipulate powerful governments into waging war for their own self interest has fueled antisemitic conspiracy theories for centuries.
An example came this week from Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center. Kent resigned from his post with a letter claiming that the U.S. began the war “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Kent has a documented history of ties to antisemitic white supremacist figures, and his letter included grandiose conspiracist claims about Israel’s global influence – including allegations that it was responsible both for the war in Iraq and the Syrian civil war. After his resignation, Kent went on Tucker Carlson’s show to imply that Israel may have assassinated Charlie Kirk to pave the way for war.
Jonathan Jacoby is president of the Nexus Project.
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