Jerusalem Post: Is the golden triangle between Israel, America and its Jews disintegrating? | policy

The Jerusalem Post newspaper published two articles by Israeli writers, one about the tripartite relationship between the United States, Israel, and the Jews, and the other about what the article described as the collapse of Jewish political power in New York.

The first article, written by Yedidiah Stern, an academic, law expert and president of the Israeli “Jewish People’s Policy Institute,” on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of America’s independence, focuses on the United States and what it represents in the world, what it has provided to the Jews, the relationship between the three parties, the current emergence of cracks in this relationship, and what Israel and the Jews must do.

The second, written by Adam Scott Bellos, the founder and CEO of the “Israel Innovation Fund,” an organization that works to build Zionist institutions, deals with what he said was the collapse of Jewish political power in New York, the reasons for this, how to treat what happened in the city to the Jews, and the rise of Zahran Mamdani to the position of mayor of the city.

More than two centuries

The Jerusalem Post published the two articles in the context of celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence, as Stern presents a broad reading of the relationship between the United States, Israel, and the Jews, as a tripartite relationship formed over more than two centuries, and based on the intersection of values, interests, and history.

According to the author, the United States has always viewed itself as carrying a moral and democratic message to the world, a perception that has not remained merely a rhetoric, as he claims, but has been translated into a political, economic, military, and cultural power that has made America an influential global center and given it a pivotal role in the modern world.

Stern believes that this American role had a profound impact on Jews and Israel, as the United States represented a historical haven for Jewish immigration, as it received millions of Jews coming from Europe during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, many of whom were in difficult economic situations.

The largest concentration of Jews in the world

Stern notes that with the expansion of immigration, New York turned into the largest Jewish community in the world at the beginning of the twentieth century, which contributed to the reshaping of modern Jewish history, especially in light of the “tragedy of the Holocaust” in Europe.

The writer points out that American recognition of Israel came early and decisive, as President Harry Truman recognized it only 11 minutes after announcing its establishment, establishing a growing strategic relationship between the two countries, which was later consolidated through support from both the Republican and Democratic parties alike.

He said that this relationship was based on two basic pillars: the first is values, expressed by former US President Ronald Reagan when he described Israel as “a model of the strength of faith and courage in the face of challenges,” and the second is strategic, affirmed by former US President Bill Clinton when he considered the partnership with Israel “one of the most prominent achievements of American foreign policy.”

Central circle

Within this framework, Stern places the North American Jewish community as the “third element” in this triangle, as it played a central role in linking the United States to Israel, while at the same time consolidating the presence of Jews within the American political and cultural structure.

He confirms that this triangle – America, Israel, and American Jews – achieved over the decades a balance from which all three parties benefited: America strengthened its global influence through Israel, the Jews found in America an unprecedented space of prosperity, and Israel relied on American political and societal support.

But Stern warns that this balance is no longer as stable as it once was. It indicates a decline in popular support for Israel within the United States, especially among the Democratic Party, in contrast to the emergence of signs of coolness even within sectors of the young Republican Party.

Stern points out the erosion of the relationship between Israel and diaspora Jews, due to a growing gap between an American Jewish community that leans toward liberalism, and an Israeli society that leans more toward the conservative right.

Growing fears

He also points out growing fears of rising anti-Semitism on the fringes of the American political spectrum, which threatens what he considers the “golden age” of Jews in America.

On the other hand, he points out the erosion of the relationship between Israel and diaspora Jews, due to a growing gap between an American Jewish community that tends toward liberalism, and an Israeli community that leans more toward the conservative right, in addition to the failure of Israeli governments to invest in this relationship.

He concludes that restoring this triangle requires a political, cultural and strategic effort, based on strengthening partisan support in Washington and rebuilding bridges with the younger Jewish generations in America.

On the other hand, Adam Scott Bellos offers a more pessimistic reading, as he believes that what happened in New York during the Democratic primary elections does not reflect a mere political change, but rather an actual collapse in Jewish political power within the city, which was historically considered the largest center of Jewish influence in the United States. This boils down to the rise of Mayor Zahran Mamdani, who sees it as the “result” and not the real “story.”

Create electoral impact

Bellos asserts that the problem does not lie in the lack of Jewish resources, but rather in the absence of the ability to transform them into an organized political force. According to his opinion, Jewish institutions in New York possess all the elements of influence: money, networks, organizations, media influence, and religious and educational institutions, but they have failed to transform this into real electoral influence.

He points out that the other side – that is, the political forces that are against or critical of Israel – succeeded in building a coherent political discourse linking issues such as housing, social justice, race, and Gaza, within the framework of a single political vision, while the Jewish side was content with producing communication campaigns and rhetorical activities without a real organizational structure on the ground.

He believes that what he calls the “reassurance economy” that emerged after October 7, 2023, relied on conferences, events, speeches, and media stars, but it did not transform into an organizational structure capable of political influence. Therefore, what the Jews failed to do, according to his description, was the transition from “appearance” to “power.”

Bellos concludes his analysis with a cautionary tone, stating that the real danger does not lie in a single political figure like Mamdani, but in the loss of the ability to organize politically itself. Societies, as he sees it, do not protect their interests through rhetoric, memory, or funding, but rather by building an organized force capable of competing in the public sphere.