Why has the US consistently backed Israel?

President Joe Biden visits Tel Aviv a day after hundreds were killed in an explosion at a hospital in Gaza.

The United States has firmly backed Israel in its war against Hamas in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Israel launched a campaign of intense air raids on the Palestinian territory after fighters from Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7.

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Israel also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory despite warnings of an intensifying humanitarian crisis for the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza.

Since Israel’s foundation in 1948, the US has been its biggest donor of military aid.

It has provided funding and arms in conflicts that have killed thousands of Palestinians and made refugees of millions.

What’s behind steadfast US military and political backing for Israel?

Presenter: Folly Bah Thibault

Guests:

Dalal Iriqat – Assistant professor of Conflict Resolution and Diplomacy at the Arab American University

Khaled Elgindy – Senior fellow at the Middle East Institute

Phyllis Bennis – Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies