Who’s Secretly Behind Israel’s Power?

27 September 2024, in United Nations General Assembly held in New York City, when it was the turn of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver his speech, more than half of the diplomats walked out of the assembly in protest, turning their backs on Netanyahu. The message was absolutely clear: opposition to Israel’s bombing campaign in Gaza and Lebanon. But what was the result of that walkout? Afterward, Israel even began attacks on Yemen as well.

If we talk only about Gaza, during the past one year more than 42,000 innocent people have been killed, including women and children, while millions have been displaced from their homes. The United States, European Union, and United Kingdom have repeatedly warned Israel that this war could take a terrifying turn.

The world saw a glimpse of this on 1 October 2024, when Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel from a distance of 1,800 kilometers. Even after serious threats and warnings, Israel still could not be stopped.

Before understanding Israel’s real strength, it is important to first understand the current situation. The Israel–Palestine issue has existed since before either state formally came into existence. The root of this conflict goes very deep. For now, the situation is that Palestinians have been pushed into a very small strip of land called the Gaza Strip.

This territory covers only around 360 square kilometers. It is extremely difficult both to enter and leave Gaza. On one side is the Mediterranean Sea, on another is Egypt, while Israel surrounds the remaining sides. Even basic supplies are allowed in only when Israel permits them. Because of this, many in the international community describe Gaza as the world’s largest open-air prison.

At present, Gaza is under the control of Hamas, an armed militant group. In October last year, when Hamas fired thousands of rockets at Israel, Israel launched a military response that continues to this day.

The greatest suffering has fallen upon Gaza’s civilian population, who are being dragged into this war against their will. More than 42,000 people, including children, have been killed. Thousands have been injured and displaced. Gaza, once a functioning city, now appears to be nothing more than millions of tons of rubble.

Israel says these attacks are aimed at eliminating Hamas militants and that the operation will continue. However, many people question how, in a population of roughly 500,000 in Gaza in 2017, as many as 42,000 people could all be considered militants.

For Gaza’s civilians, there seems to be only one option left: fleeing toward Lebanon. But even that is not easy. Refugees must first travel through Egypt via the Red Sea into Jordan, then pass through Syria before finally reaching Lebanon.

In Lebanon, Hezbollah holds enormous influence. Hezbollah is an Iran-backed militant group that also supports Hamas in Gaza.

But who exactly is Hezbollah?

During Lebanon’s civil war in the 1980s, Israel occupied southern Lebanon. In response, an armed group emerged to fight Israel, later known as Hezbollah. This group eventually forced Israel out of Lebanon and has since become one of the country’s most powerful political and military organizations. Experts claim Hezbollah is even stronger than Lebanon’s national army and enjoys strong Iranian support.

Since its creation, Hezbollah has remained a major threat to Israel, and clashes between the two sides have become routine. After the Gaza attacks last year, Hezbollah openly declared support for Palestinians, creating a serious new challenge for Israel.

Attacking Gaza was one thing, but now Israel also had to respond to Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, Israel needed a major justification for direct attacks inside Lebanon. According to experts, this is when the pager attacks were planned.

On 17 and 18 September 2024, more than 3,000 pagers and radio sets used by Hezbollah exploded simultaneously. Hezbollah blamed Israel and responded by firing rockets at Israeli territory. Israel then launched heavy airstrikes in southern Lebanon, forcing thousands of civilians to flee their homes. During these operations, Hezbollah commander Hassan Nasrallah was killed.

Meanwhile, countries around the world tried to prevent the Middle East situation from worsening further. Many nations strongly criticized Israel and demanded an end to the fighting.

Large amounts of humanitarian aid for Gaza were also announced. According to Reuters, on 30 September 2024, the United States announced additional aid for Palestinians in Gaza. Earlier, on 7 March 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to build a temporary military port to deliver aid into Gaza. USAID also announced $53 million in emergency assistance.

Yet despite global criticism, Israel has only intensified its military operations. This raises an important question: how can such a small country, surrounded by Arab nations, remain beyond anyone’s control?

The issue was raised three times in the United Nations Security Council. In the Security Council, representatives of different countries vote on resolutions, and those resolutions are expected to be respected internationally.

However, whenever ceasefire agreements were proposed, the United States used its veto power to block them. Ironically, this was the same America that publicly announced humanitarian aid for Gaza.

In June 2024, the United States itself introduced a ceasefire proposal in the Security Council, and it passed, but later complications and political disagreements stalled its implementation.

On one hand, President Biden stated that war benefits nobody, while on the other hand, the United States continued to use its veto power and provide support to Israel.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, between 2019 and 2023, around 69% of Israel’s imported weapons came from the United States. Additionally, the U.S. provides Israel with approximately $3.8 billion in military aid every year.

Critics argue that America talks about stopping the war while simultaneously supporting Israel militarily, which is one reason why the conflict continues to escalate and could eventually take an even more dangerous form in the Middle East.

This leads to another important question: why does America support Israel so strongly?

Part of the answer is linked to religion and politics. According to research from Wheaton College, a large portion of Americans strongly believe in the Bible, and many consider the creation of Israel to be consistent with biblical prophecy.

There is also a major organization in America called Christians United for Israel (CUFI), which advocates for Israel and Jewish causes. The organization reportedly has millions of members worldwide, including influential American political figures.

It is important to note that Christianity and Judaism are separate religions, while Zionism is a political movement supporting the existence and interests of Israel. Not every Jew or Christian is necessarily Zionist.

Another influential group is American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the United States. AIPAC openly states that it lobbies within the American government in support of Israeli policies.

In the U.S., lobbying is legal as long as it is publicly disclosed and follows established rules. Critics argue that lobbying groups can heavily influence members of Congress, legislation, budgets, and foreign policy decisions.

Reports suggest that many candidates supported by AIPAC performed strongly in elections, while candidates critical of Israel often faced intense opposition.

The controversy became even more serious after South Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing Israel of human rights violations in Gaza.

On 24 April 2024, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan reportedly received a letter from several U.S. senators warning against issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu. The letter allegedly threatened sanctions and visa restrictions if the ICC targeted Israel.

Another issue involved Israeli government bonds. According to reports from The Guardian, after the Hamas–Israel war began, various U.S. states and municipalities purchased at least $1.7 billion worth of Israeli bonds.

All of this suggests that America’s support for Israel comes from multiple factors: religious beliefs, political lobbying, strategic alliances, and geopolitical interests in the Middle East.

The United States has long-standing tensions with Iran and has fought wars in countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq. Because of this, Washington considers Israel one of its most reliable allies in the Middle East.

At the same time, many Arab countries continue to support the idea of a two-state solution that would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel. However, political disagreements and security concerns have prevented such a solution from being fully accepted and implemented.