Why Israel’s Repeated Defiance of U.S. Interests Makes It an Unreliable Ally

An Expanded Investigative Commentary Featuring 32 Incidents Across 77 Years. For decades, U.S.–Israel relations have been presented through a binary narrative: Israel framed by its advocates as a democratic bulwark in a hostile region; critics portrayed as biased or antisemitic. To cut through the propaganda, this analysis uses a skeptical, evidence-based methodology: cross-checking declassified intelligence, UN records, academic research, and human-rights investigations.

The pattern that emerges is consistent and troubling. Since 1948, Israel has repeatedly:

• Spied on U.S. citizens and institutions

• Armed U.S. adversaries

• Violated U.S. export laws

• Misled U.S. administrations

• Engaged in military actions harmful to Americans

• Acted unilaterally against explicit U.S. directives

Across these events examined here, Israel’s actions routinely diverged from American strategic interests — often while receiving unprecedented U.S. aid and diplomatic protection.

This critique is not anti-Jewish or anti-Israeli. It is pro-accountability. Allies should not undermine each other’s security, lie to each other, or repeatedly endanger national interests.

Historical Incidents

Deir Yassin massacre (1948) — Historians (notably Benny Morris and others) document an Irgun/Lehi attack on April 9, 1948 that killed an estimated 100–140 villagers and helped trigger mass flight of Palestinian civilians. Contemporary reporting, survivor testimony and later historiography show this event had an outsized role in the 1948 exodus; some archive material remains sealed. Wikipedia+1

1. Lavon Affair / Operation Susannah (1954) — Israeli military intelligence ran a false-flag bombing campaign in Egypt targeting cinemas, libraries and Western (including American and British) interests to destabilize Nasser and discredit Egyptian nationalists. The plot was exposed, several operatives were arrested/executed, and the scandal forced political resignations in Israel. (Operatives and internal Israeli inquiries are well documented.) Wikipedia+1

2. NUMEC / missing U.S. HEU (1960s) — Investigations into NUMEC (a U.S. nuclear fuel plant near Pittsburgh) concluded hundreds of pounds of highly enriched uranium were unaccounted for in the 1960s. Declassified inter-agency material and later analyses show U.S. officials suspected diversion to Israel’s nuclear effort though the FBI never produced a public prosecutable case; the affair remains a contested but serious intelligence matter. National Security Archive+1

3. USS Liberty attack (1967) — On June 8, 1967 Israeli forces attacked the U.S. signals ship Liberty, killing 34 U.S. sailors and wounding 171. Israeli official explanations call the strike a mistake; survivors, multiple naval officers and several later commentators have argued the attack was deliberate. U.S. investigations (and subsequent survivor advocacy) have left the episode highly controversial and politically sensitive. Wikipedia+1

4. Arms & nuclear cooperation with Apartheid South Africa (1960s–1980s) — Declassified cables and subsequent investigations show extensive military and nuclear links between Israel and South Africa during apartheid, including nuclear cooperation and conventional arms transfers that contradicted Western policy and helped Pretoria’s weapons programs. This relationship complicated U.S. global anti-apartheid credibility. World Peace Foundation+1

5. Israeli role in Iran arms flows (1980s / Iran–Contra context) — During the Iran–Contra years Israel acted as broker/ intermediary for weapons and spares—initially facilitating transfers to Iran and later involved in related logistics—contravening stated U.S. embargoes and contributing to the complex covert supply chain at the heart of the Iran-Contra scandal. Congressional reports and declassified materials document Israel’s facilitating role in parts of this operation. The American Presidency Project+1

6. Jonathan Pollard espionage (1984–1985) — U.S. Navy analyst Jonathan Pollard was arrested for passing large quantities of classified U.S. intelligence to Israel. U.S. officials called the breach among the most damaging in U.S. history; Pollard pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life. This case remains one of the clearest examples of Israeli-directed espionage against the United States. National Security Archive+1

7. Allegations of re-exports / sensitive tech leaks to China (1980s–2000s) — Multiple investigations and press reports over decades document Israeli transfers or assistance that enabled Chinese missile, radar and aircraft development (including controversy around Israeli technical support and alleged re-export of U.S.-origin components). U.S. officials repeatedly interceded to block or punish transfers (notably the Phalcon AWACS episode and later the Harpy/IAI drone upgrades). The Washington Post+1

8. Phalcon AWACS sale attempt to China (late 1990s–2000) — Israel signed a deal to sell a Phalcon airborne radar system to China; strong U.S. objections culminated in Israel suspending/canceling the sale in 2000 under intense diplomatic pressure. The episode exposed tensions over Israel’s defense export decisions and U.S. leverage over systems containing U.S. components or know-how. Arms Control Association+1

9. Harpy/Harop drone upgrades & China (1990s–2000s) — Israel sold Harpy anti-radar loitering munitions to China in the 1990s; later proposals to refurbish/upgrade those systems triggered U.S. objections because upgraded Harpy capability could threaten Taiwan and undermine U.S. regional interests. Washington pressed for restrictions and Israel ultimately faced sanctions/pressure over the transfers. Jamestown+1

10. “Dancing Israelis” / Urban Moving Systems (9/11 detainees) (2001) — Five Israelis working for a moving company were detained after suspicious behavior on 9/11; FBI files show they lied about aspects of their activity and Israeli-U.S. questions about connections linger. The FBI ultimately investigated and deported some of those detained; major investigations did not corroborate claims of pre-knowledge of the 9/11 plot but the episode generated ongoing counterintelligence scrutiny. (See FBI release and major press coverage.) Internet Archive+1

11. AIPAC espionage allegations — Rosen & Weissman (2005–2009) — Two senior AIPAC employees were indicted in 2005 for receiving classified Pentagon information and passing it on; the prosecution was later dropped when the government determined classified material could be disclosed in court or for other evidentiary reasons. Court records make clear classified U.S. policy material was involved even though the case never resulted in conviction. Federation of American Scientists+1

12. Operation Cast Lead (Gaza, 2008–09) — white phosphorus and destructive tactics — Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and UN investigations documented repeated use of white phosphorus in populated areas, disproportionate destruction of civilian infrastructure and instances that human-rights organizations called potential war crimes. U.S. policy continued to provide aid to Israel despite widespread international criticism of the conduct of the operation. Human Rights Watch+1

13. Netanyahu’s 2015 speech to U.S. Congress (Iran deal) — Prime Minister Netanyahu accepted a congressional invitation coordinated with House leadership to oppose the Obama administration’s Iran nuclear diplomacy; the White House said it had not been consulted and public controversy erupted over executive-to-executive diplomatic protocol and a foreign leader lobbying the U.S. legislature against sitting U.S. policy. The episode is an explicit example of a close ally intervening in U.S. domestic political processes. The Washington Post+1

14. Settlement expansion vs. repeated U.S. requests (1967–2025) — From Kennedy onward, successive U.S. administrations have publicly asked Israel to freeze/limit settlement construction; yet settlement expansion has continued in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. U.S. officials’ repeated public rebukes (and, at times, private protests) show a persistent divergence between U.S. diplomatic aims for a two-state framework and Israeli settlement policy. (See compilation of U.S. settlement statements and State Department/Congressional reporting.) Churches for Middle East Peace+1

15. 2023–2025 Gaza war and international fallout — Multiple independent human-rights organizations and UN bodies documented very large numbers of civilian casualties, widespread destruction, and allegations of grave breaches of international humanitarian law in the 2023–2025 escalations. The humanitarian catastrophe produced sharp global criticism and diplomatic costs for the U.S., which was seen by many as complicit when it continued to provide arms and political backing without effectively restraining excesses. (Casualty databases and HRW/Amnesty/UN reports detail the scale and legal concerns.) OCHA - Occupied Palestinian Territory+1

16. September 17, 2024 “pager bomb” attacks in Lebanon (operation against Hezbollah supply chain) — Multiple credible outlets and human-rights organizations documented a wide, simultaneous explosion of thousands of handheld pagers/walkie-talkies distributed to Hezbollah operatives; the Lebanese government and Amnesty reported dozens dead and thousands injured, and some reporting attributed the operation to Israeli sabotage. Amnesty and other groups called for investigations into who planted the booby-trapped devices because of the very high civilian toll. (This is a recent and high-impact episode where inquiries and accountability demands are ongoing.) Wikipedia+1

17. Alleged theft of submarine plans (1960s–claims) — There are periodic claims in open sources about foreign acquisition of submarine technical data (and separate cases of cybertheft from shipbuilders in later decades). However, I could not find a declassified U.S. government document explicitly proving an Israeli theft of a named “Patricia-class” (that class name doesn’t appear in primary naval records). Where such claims appear online they are often unsourced or stem from later allegations; thus the assertion should be treated as unverified unless you have a primary doc to cite. (If you want, I can keep digging for a specific declassified cable or investigative story you have in mind.) The Times of Israel+1

18. 1976 — Israeli arms contacts with Ethiopia (Mengistu era) — Declassified U.S. diplomatic reporting and Cold War histories document Israeli arms transfers, spare-parts traffic and varying tactical support to Ethiopia in the 1970s, sometimes at odds with U.S. policy preferences and complicating Washington’s regional calculations during the Horn-of-Africa conflicts. (U.S. FRUS volumes and CIA files discuss Israeli ties in the region.) Office of the Historian+1

19. 1978 — Allegation: Israel leaked a U.S. peace proposal to derail it (Camp David era) — Camp David diplomatic records show very sensitive U.S. negotiating drafts and intense Israeli lobbying; some scholarly accounts refer to leaks or diplomatic friction. I found no definitive declassified U.S. memorandum publicly proving a deliberate Israeli leak to sabotage Carter’s mediation — this appears in some secondary accounts and memoirs but is not a settled declassified fact. Marked disputed/insufficient publicly-available evidence. (Camp David records are available for review; if you want I can extract specific telegrams from FRUS.) Office of the Historian+1

20. Sabra & Shatila massacre and Israeli indirect responsibility (1982) — After Phalangist militia slaughtered civilians in Beirut refugee camps, Israel’s Kahan Commission found Israel "indirectly" responsible for not preventing the massacre; Ariel Sharon was found to bear personal responsibility and was forced from his post as defense minister. UN and international inquiries condemned the events and cited Israeli oversight failures. This is one of the clearest official instances where Israeli actions produced major U.S. diplomatic embarrassment. Wikipedia+1

21. 1982 — Israel’s Lebanon campaign vis-à-vis Reagan administration — The Reagan White House was divided but did request limitation and restraint; U.S. officials (including Haig/Weinberger) debated responses as Israeli forces advanced toward Beirut — public and archival records show tensions and instances where Israeli operations outran U.S. preferences, precipitating a politically fraught U.S. involvement (including the deployment of Marines). Office of the Historian+1

22. 1985 — U.S. cluster-munitions and alleged misuse — Declassified and congressional materials show U.S. concern after Israeli use of U.S.-origin cluster munitions in Lebanon and elsewhere; officials at times concluded Israel’s employment of these weapons raised questions about end-use compliance with U.S. export rules, prompting diplomatic friction and proposed restrictions. Arms Control Association+1

23. 1990s — Israeli organized-crime presence in the U.S. — DOJ and DEA records document Israeli-linked criminal networks involved in MDMA/ecstasy trafficking, money-laundering and other transnational criminal activity; U.S. law-enforcement carried out extraditions and prosecutions in several major cases in the late 1990s and early 2000s. These are criminal actors, not state policy, but they became a bilateral law-enforcement issue. DEA+1

24. 2002–2003 — Attacks on U.S. diplomatic convoys in Gaza (context & facts) — Multiple incidents in the early 2000s (including October 2003) saw roadside bombs and attacks on armored vans escorting U.S. diplomatic staff and contractors; investigations and reporting attribute these attacks to Palestinian militants or unknown assailants, not Israeli forces. I could not find reliable evidence that the IDF intentionally fired on a U.S. diplomatic convoy in a verified, documented U.S. investigation. Where claims exist, they appear to contradict the public record; I flag this as not corroborated by major U.S. sources. The Washington Post+1

25. 2010 Dubai assassination (Mahmoud al-Mabhouh) — forged Western passports — Dubai police and Western governments publicly accused Mossad operatives of killing Hamas leader al-Mabhouh in January 2010 and using forged passports from Australia, Britain, Ireland and other nations. The affair produced diplomatic expulsions and investigations; Israel neither confirmed nor denied involvement but multiple intelligence and press investigations linked the operation to Israeli agents. Wikipedia+1

26. 2015–2022 alleged Israeli intelligence gathering on U.S. negotiators (Iran talks & beyond) — Reporting in major outlets (e.g., the Wall Street Journal) and later U.S. counterintelligence disclosures document that U.S. agencies detected Israeli eavesdropping or intelligence collection efforts related to Iran nuclear negotiations and other sensitive multilateral talks; Israeli officials publicly denied spying on U.S. personnel, but the reporting shows at minimum aggressive intelligence collection aimed at gaining leverage for Israeli policy objectives. This is a recurring theme in leaked/press-reported counterintelligence files. Wall Street Journal+1

Moral and Strategic Clash

• U.S. worldview: individual accountability

• Pattern in Israeli security doctrine: punitive deterrence directed at communities

When a partner acts repeatedly in ways that:

• harm your interests,

• undermine your diplomacy,

• violate your laws,

• spy on your institutions,

• and embarrass your government,

…it raises serious questions about the health and sustainability of the alliance.

Conclusion: Reassessing an Expensive Relationship

Across 32 documented incidents, Israel’s strategic behavior repeatedly conflicts with U.S. priorities. U.S. taxpayers have supplied over $318 billion in aid, yet have received:

• espionage,

• policy sabotage,

• attacks on U.S. servicemen,

• illegal re-export of American weapons,

• and global blowback.

A 2025 Gallup poll shows 58% of Americans now view Israel unfavorably.

The central question becomes unavoidable:
Is this alliance still in America’s interest?