By John Pottinger, Socialist Action
Many liberals and leftists believe AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, shapes US policy towards Israel or in fact controls it. The truth is quite different.
Israel was not created by the United Kingdom, the US and other Western imperialists to give Jews a place of refuge after World War II. These imperialist powers had done nothing to protect Jews before or during the war. Indeed, Jewish refugees fleeing European Nazism just outside of U.S, waters were sent back to Europe by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Plus IBM’s machines made the Holocaust more “efficient.” Israel was created to be the U.S. cop of the Middle East.
This is a job is has done well since its founding in 1948.
In 1956 Nasser, Egypt’s President, nationalized the Suez Canal, closed the Strait of Tiran connecting the Gulf of Aqaba to the Red Sea and blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba. Britain and France wanted the canal back and Israel wanted the strait and gulf opened. Israel also saw this as its opportunity for a Greater Israel, meaning annexation of the Gaza Strip, the Sinai and Southern Lebanon, where they fostered the creation of a Christian state in Northern Lebanon. They also favored carving up Jordan for imperial purposes. Fortunately you can’t always get what you want.
In the end Egypt kept the canal and got back a scorched earth Sinai. But, in time and with U.S, support, Israel proved to be the toughest kid on the block.
In 1966 and early 1967 Israel launched air strikes in reprisals to Palestinian resistance, on Jordan and Syria. In response Egypt mobilized its forces and again the blockaded the Gulf of Aqaba. On June 5, 1967 Israel launched surprise attacks on Egypt and Syria destroying their air forces. Israel captured Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula right up to the Suez Canal and made quick work of Jordan, taking East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Syria lost the Golan Heights. Israel, again with U.S. support, was once again the baddest ass of the Middle East.
In 1973 Egypt and Syria launched an attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur high holy day when radio, TV, transportation and shops are closed. After some initial success by Egypt and Syria the Israelis pushed back. The end result was the Camp David Accords where Egypt recognized Israel’s “right to exist” and got a substantial amount of US aid. Egypt has been neutered ever since.
Syria didn’t get the Golan Heights back and has been unable to respond to repeated Israeli incursions to this day.
Jordan, as with most Middle Eastern states, was compelled to “recognize” Israel 1992 and has not seriously challenged the U.S.-backed Zionist state despite its population being 50 to 70 percent Palestinian refugees.
The US and the UK aim to exploit and steal the resources of the Middle East. They use Israel to tame the Arab, Persian and Turkish countries into submission.
So getting back to AIPAC. The U.S. ruling class uses AIPAC to promote politicians that favor Israel and punish those not sufficiently subservient. Two good examples are Wesley Bell who received $12,281,000 from AIPAC to defeat “progressive” Cori Bush in 2024; the same with George Latimer, who received $19,102,000 to defeat Jamaal Bowman in 2024. The U.S. ruling class uses AIPAC to police the Democratic and Republican parties so as to maintain support for US imperialism. [For a more complete list of the methods used to police the Democrats see my article “Mamdani and the Sisyphean Task of Reforming the Democratic Party” at socialistaction.org.]
Other organizations like Canary Mission dox opponents of Israel. These organizations would not be tolerated for a moment if they weren’t in the interests of U.S. imperialism.
US imperialism is the dog and Israel is the tail. AIPAC uses the carrot for pro-Israeli politicians and the stick against those who are not subservient enough.
While the massive pro-Palestinian protests and campus encampments have changed public opinion in favor of Palestine, it will take a socialist revolution to stop US imperialism, that is, winning the vast majority of the U.S. population to fighting for a free society where human needs are no longer subordinate to the capitalist profits of the one percent ruling elite. With countless billions at stake, only stripping the ruling class of their assets and putting them under the control of the working class majority and their allies among the oppressed will end aid to Israel forever.
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John Pottinger
November 29, 2025
