ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

The early connections, relationships, and responsibilities between the United States and Israel go deep, in a grand story mostly forgotten. That story starts in 1772—before we became a country—when a Polish-Jewish immigrant to the American colonies became a hero. At the request of General George Washington, Haym Salomon, a successful merchant, helped establish America during the Revolutionary War.

Although Salomon’s efforts were mostly unsung at the time, a commemorative stamp issued more than 200 years later, in 1975, described him as “responsible for raising most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new nation from collapse.” Despite a surge of antisemitism demonstrated by yelled insults, aggressive social media posts, and hostile actions, the ties that bind Israel and the United States together remain robust and mutually beneficial. As patriots—Salomon, a Jew, and Washington, a Gentile—the two men set the stage for the United States and Israel with a strong underlying bond of Judeo-Christian values.

Today, how is our relationship with Israel beneficial for the United States and vice versa? Let’s begin with the U.S. economy. The numerous deep connections between Israel and the U.S. are packed with trade benefits, including partnerships that support over 255,000 American jobs. Israel has contracts with over 1,000 companies in 48 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

The 1985 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Israel was the United States’ first FTA and created a bonanza for both countries. In 2024, for example, goods and services traded rose to an estimated $55 billion. Keep in mind that Israel is called the “innovation nation” for a reason. Although the goods and services into the U.S. from Israel are too numerous to name, they include electrical, optical, photo, and technical devices, as well as electronic equipment, precious stones, medical instruments, and pharmaceuticals.

Here’s a little-known fact that is part of our annual congressionally approved security assistance to Israel: Both Democratic and Republican administrations have approved Israel’s aid. Despite repeated and heated disagreements in both the House and Senate, the final outcome rests on the benefits that this security aid adds to the safety of the United States.

Such security aid is often challenged—but it is essential to America. Since Israel gained modern independence in 1948, its enemies have forced the world’s ancestral homeland onto the front lines of freedom—fighting their enemies, which are also our enemies, when the Islamic Regime established its oppressive dictatorship in 1979. The Regime, the purveyor of international terror, views Israel as the “Little Satan” and the United States of America as the “Great Satan.”

For the U.S., Israel is the only democracy we can count on in an explosive region with their shared intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation. The necessary weaponry manufactured in the U.S. not only directly creates over 20,000 American jobs, but Israel spends 75 percent of that security assistance within the U.S.—purchasing weapons and military equipment exclusively from American companies.

The U.S. State Department lists various military exercises with Israel, such as Juniper Oak and Juniper Falcon, plus joint research and weapons development. Bilateral defense cooperation agreements from 1952 onward reflect strong cooperation, which is necessary in a progressively perilous world.

Our strategic relationship with Israel also reaches into other sectors. Israel is a world leader in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and works with the United States to help prevent and treat PTSD in American troops. It is essential to know that Israel’s policy is to defend itself by itself—with no U.S. soldiers fighting on the ground in Israel.

If you are on a tour flying non-stop from New York to Tel Aviv about 6,000 miles away, it may seem surprising to learn that more than 2,500 U.S. businesses are in Israel. It is likely not on your itinerary but driving by Israeli locations and seeing huge logos affixed on buildings for Intel, Google, Microsoft, IBM, Apple, and others is an amazing example of Jerusalem’s ancient walls contrasted with modern U.S. corporations. Seeing these familiar names is a reminder that the mobile phones we hold in our hands depended on key Israeli components and advancements, even the ones used by Jew haters who have no idea that Israel had everything to do with this invention.

Collaboration with Israel isn’t limited to federal laws and initiatives. Individual states have enacted mutually beneficial agreements with Israel through organizations including the Israel-U.S. Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), established in 1977. BIRD provides grants to small businesses involved with software, instrumentation, communications, medical devices, and semiconductors.

Daniel 2:21 states that God “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.” God’s sovereignty is unchanging. Nevertheless, we must do our part to follow Moses and Esther, biblical role models for political advocacy. Moses’ persistent appeals to the Pharoah freed the Jews after 400 years. Esther’s brave request to King Ahasuerus saved the Jews from Haman’s murderous goal.

Two much-slandered organizations are key to providing ongoing U.S. congressional security aid, which is mutually beneficial for the United States and Israel. Two American organizations—the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Christians United for Israel (CUFI)—represent millions of Christian and Jewish activists who contact and educate members of the U.S. Congress, both Democrats and Republicans, to vote for Israel’s security aid favorable in multiple mutual benefits to both nations. Yes, it is “politics,” yet for a high calling.

Our times demand our attention and our activism politically, for the land God calls His own and for His chosen people whom He has not and will not abandon. 

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week and to share “wisdom and knowledge” with others.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for more U.S. citizens to interact with Congress in the footsteps of Moses and Esther.
• Pray for wise decisions in our government benefiting the U.S.-Israel relationship.
• Pray for AIPAC and CUFI for their successes in educating U.S. Congress members about our ally Israel.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.