The truth behind the America-Israel relationship. It isn’t what you think.

News Episode 1 of The Necessary State, a new video series from Mondoweiss and Sana Saeed. How did two parties that agree on almost nothing end up in lockstep on Israel? In the first episode of a new YouTube series from Mondoweiss and Sana Saeed, The Necessary traces how American support for Israel went from cautious and transactional in the 1950s to the untouchable consensus it is today, and argues it was never inevitable. This is the historical foundation for a series about how Israel became central to American imperial strategy. The Necessary State is a five-part series hosted by Sana Saeed, exploring how Israel has served American imperial interests, and the argument that Israel isn’t steering the empire so much as serving as the testing ground that sustains it. Topics covered: Was U.S. support for Israel always guaranteed? Why did Eisenhower oppose Israel during the 1956 Suez Crisis? How did the 1967 war change America’s relationship with Israel? What was Operation Nickel Grass and the 1973 war? Why did the pro-Israel consensus harden in the 1980s? Is the Israel lobby really the reason for U.S. support? 1948 to 1956: recognition without unconditional support, and Eisenhower breaking with Israel over Suez. The post-WWII moral story that culturally manufactured the bond before it became policy. 1967: the moment Washington realized Israel could fight its regional battles without U.S. troops. 1973 and Operation Nickel Grass: when support became direct military backing. The 1980s: Lebanon, the First Intifada, and the full manufacturing of Israel as untouchable. The end of the Cold War and Israel’s role in a new American strategy.