Americans are finally taking a critical approach to Israel. We can do that without sliding into antisemitism | Joel Swanson

"Israel's role in drawing the United States into military action against Iran warrants serious scrutiny. Whatever one believes about the strategic logic of the strikes, the process by which the United States came to participate in them raises profound questions about the relationship between the two countries."

"The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has claimed that the US struck Iran partly because it knew Israel was going to act unilaterally and feared the blowback. In other words, Israeli strategic priorities shaped American military timing, and by extension, American casualties."

"Only 21% of Americans supported strikes on Iran before they began. The public deserves a fuller accounting of how we got here."

The joint US-Israel military strikes on Iran present a critical moment requiring examination of the US-Israel relationship and American military decision-making. Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated the US participated partly because Israel planned unilateral action and the US feared consequences. While Israel did not force American action, intelligence-sharing, lobbying pressure, and assumed aligned interests significantly shaped US military timing and decisions. This raises fundamental questions about democratic oversight of military action. With only 21% of Americans supporting strikes before they occurred, the public deserves fuller accounting of decision-making processes. Some Jewish organizations advocate supporting the war effort without questioning, but democratic principles demand scrutiny of how foreign relationships influence American military commitments.

Read at www.theguardian.com