I'm "America First" — And That's Exactly Why I Support Israel

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked this—sometimes casually, sometimes with thinly veiled skepticism:

“Why do you care about Israel so much? You’re American. What does it have to do with us?”

I get it. At first glance, it might seem like a fair question. We’ve got enough problems here at home—fentanyl, crime, borders wide open, veterans sleeping on sidewalks. It’s easy to look at another country, especially one across the world, and wonder, why should we care?

But the truth is, this isn’t just some emotional connection or blind allegiance. I’m not a warmonger. I don’t support foreign handouts. I’m one of the people who wants to see America put its own interests first. But that’s exactly why I support Israel. Because supporting Israel is in our national interest.

A Beacon of the West in a Very Dark Neighborhood

Let’s start with the basics. Israel isn’t just another patch of land in the Middle East. It’s the only democracy in a region full of dictatorships, theocracies, and regimes that don’t let women drive, arrest journalists, and publicly execute gay people.

In Israel? You can criticize the government, protest in the streets, worship any religion—or none at all—and women serve in the military, start companies, win elections. So when people say, “It’s not our fight,” I ask: what do you think happens when the only Western-style democracy in the region falls? You think the surrounding regimes—many of them openly hostile to the U.S.—will leave us alone?

This isn’t about playing world police. This is about common sense. When you’ve got one functioning democracy in a dangerous part of the world that actually shares your values, you don’t treat that like a liability. You protect it.

“But What Do We Get From Them?”

This is the part where the talking points kick in. “Why are we giving Israel billions in aid? What do we get in return?” Fair question—if the facts weren’t being twisted.

First off, most of what we give Israel isn’t a blank check. It’s military aid that gets spent here in America, on U.S.-made weapons and equipment. That’s American jobs, American factories, American defense tech development. Not a giveaway.

Second, Israel gives us a lot in return—real, tangible stuff. Cybersecurity tools that protect our infrastructure. Counterterrorism intelligence that’s saved American lives. Battlefield-tested military tactics we’ve adopted. Even drones and missile defense systems that now help protect our own troops abroad. Israel doesn’t just take. It innovates, it shares, it contributes. And let’s be blunt: we’ve given more money and military support to regimes that literally hate us than we’ve ever given Israel. Where’s the outrage about that?

The Hypocrisy Is Hard to Ignore

And that brings me to the part no one wants to talk about—the massive double standard. How is it that Israel is held to standards no one else is? Syria has slaughtered hundreds of thousands of its own people. Iran hangs women for not wearing a headscarf. China runs internment camps for Muslims. But it’s Israel—a country under constant attack from terrorists—who people claim is committing genocide? Give me a break.

I’ve seen people online weeping for Gazan civilians while simultaneously sharing Hamas propaganda. People who’ll say, “I care about human rights,” but then excuse the same terrorists who use schools and hospitals as shields. It’s like they’ve been trained to twist reality—to frame self-defense as oppression, and radical violence as noble resistance.

And ask yourself: if Israel weren’t Jewish—would this level of venom still exist? Think about that.

A Strategic Ally, Not a Liability

Now here’s where the “America First” principle really kicks in. Israel has never asked us to fight its wars. It doesn’t expect American soldiers to die on its soil. It handles its own security, pays the price in blood, and still contributes to our shared defense. That’s a rare thing.

Contrast that with how many billions we’ve wasted in places like Pakistan, Iraq, or Afghanistan—countries that either betrayed us or collapsed the second we left. Israel, by comparison, is stable, self-reliant, and accountable. This isn’t charity. It’s strategy. And if you want a world where America isn’t cleaning up failed states every decade, then you want strong allies like Israel—people who can hold the line without us doing all the heavy lifting.

We’re Fighting the Same Enemy

Let’s not pretend the threats we face are separate. When Hamas fires rockets at Israeli civilians, when Iran funds proxy militias, when Hezbollah tunnels under borders—that’s not just about Israel. These are the same extremist ideologies that fuel terror attacks in Paris, New York, and London. These are people who burned our flag right next to Israel’s and called us both “The Great Satan.”

So no, I’m not going to draw some artificial line between “their fight” and “ours.” Israel is on the front line of a global war against radical ideologies that hate everything we stand for—freedom, equality, Western values. Whether we admit it or not, they don’t separate us.

“America First” Doesn’t Mean “America Alone”

I’m not an interventionist. I don’t believe in endless wars or rebuilding foreign countries at our expense. But I do believe in choosing allies wisely. And when we find one that’s strong, aligned with our values, and ready to fight their own battles—you don’t walk away from that. If anything, America First demands that we be smarter about who we stand with. We don’t need 100 weak partners. We need a few good ones. And Israel? That’s one of the best we’ve got.

So, Why Do I Support Israel?

Because they’re a free people surrounded by tyrants. Because they fight their own wars. Because they share our values. Because they innovate and give more than they take. Because they’re a firewall against enemies who hate us just as much as they hate them. And because abandoning them wouldn’t make us strong—it would make us cowards.

If that makes me unpopular in some circles, so be it. But I won’t apologize for standing with a country that believes in liberty, protects its people, and helps protect mine.

Call that America First. Call it common sense. I just call it the right thing to do.

Jacob Smith is the voice behind The Moderate Case—a political science and law graduate from the University of South Carolina. He has appeared on panels for Al Jazerra and Jubilee, using his platform to challenge misinformation and advocate for balanced, fact-based discourse. If you enjoyed this article, follow Jacob's writings at The Moderate Case, see him on Instagram, and follow him on TikTok, where he has over 103K subscribers.