The relationship between the United States and Israel is usually seen as "special" because of technical matters.
Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. Israel and the U.S. share vitally important intelligence and technology.
But what about shared values?
Shortly after America's new ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, arrived at his post, he sat for an interview with the Christian network TBN. Huckabee, the first Evangelical Christian to hold this post, was clear that what roots him in Israel is the Bible.
"3,500 years ago, God said, 'This is my people, this is my land, this is my place, this is my purpose,'" noted our new ambassador. He later continued, "America stands with Israel."
Polling data shows that Americans with religious identity, who attend church, are much more strongly in support of Israel than Americans with no religious identity.
Per Gallup, on average from 2020-2024, among American Protestants, 66% expressed more support for Israel, compared to 18% who expressed more support for the Palestinians.
Among Americans with no religious identity, 34% expressed more support for Israel, compared to 43% who expressed more support for the Palestinians.
Over 2020-2024, among those who said they attend church once per week, 67% expressed more support for Israel, and 17% expressed more support for the Palestinians. However, among those who never attend church, 41% expressed more support for Israel, and 37% said they express more support for the Palestinians.
Gallup connects weakening support for Israel with weakening religious identity. Over 2001-2004, 32% of Americans said they attend church once per week. By 2020-2024, this was down to 23%. In the 2001-2004 period, 15% said they never attend church. By the 2020-2024 time period, this was up to 30%.
So, the Bible could well be the most important dimension of the unique and special relationship between Israel and the United States.
We've heard a lot about Make America Great Again.
With all the anxiety now regarding domestic and foreign affairs, we ought to ask, "What makes America great?"
One of the great speeches in American history is the speech that President Ronald Reagan delivered March 8, 1983, to the National Association of Evangelicals, in which Reagan called the Soviet Union an "evil empire."
In that speech, Reagan quoted French nobleman Alexis de Tocqueville, who wrote what many view as the greatest book ever about the United States -- "Democracy in America," published in 1835.
Tocqueville noted: "Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits enflamed with righteousness did I understand the greatness and genius of America. America is good. And if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
The following is the increase from 2001 to 2023 of the percentage of Americans saying the following are morally acceptable: Gay and lesbian relations, 40% to 64%; bringing a baby outside of marriage, 45% to 70%; sex outside of marriage, 53% to 72%; polygamy, 7% to 23%; doctor-assisted suicide, 49% to 53%; pornography, 30% to 39%; abortion, 42% to 52%.
From 2001-2024, federal debt as a percent of GDP went from 32.8% to 96.2%, and federal spending went from 17.6% to 23.1%. The percentage of households with married parents dropped from 24% to 17.9%. And the fertility rate went from 2.03 children per woman to 1.61.
The average real growth rate of the U.S. economy from 1950-1999 was 3.6% per year. From 2000-2024 it was down to 2.2%.
There we have it. The way to make America great again is to make America good again.
Emblazoned on the Liberty Bell is the verse, "Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," taken from the Book of Leviticus in the Five Books of Moses.
There is indeed a special relationship between the U.S. and Israel. The common ground between our countries is the eternal Bible.
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