The Revere

Vernon Ha ’26

Several Western liberal countries, on the other hand, vehemently support Israel. On October 10, during Macron’s visit to Germany, German Chancellor Sholz and French President Macron, alongside other Western countries, issued a joint statement condemning the attacks by Hamas: “Our countries will support Israel in its efforts to defend itself and its people against such atrocities.” These countries include the United States, Germany, Italy, United Kindom, and France.¹

One of the primary countries supporting Israel is the United States. As Israel’s most prominent supporter financially and in military aid, Biden has shown unequivocal support for Israel during the conflict with Hamas. Within hours of the attack by Hamas, the U.S. moved ships and aircraft to the region. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, was among the fleet. Along with the Ford, the U.S. is sending a number of cruisers and destroyers and augmenting Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.² The US also sent non-ground fighting operation forces to Israel to assist with intelligence and planning.

Along with direct military support, the United States continues to fund Israel financially. Among the $105 billion national security package laid out by the Biden administration on Friday, $14.3 billion was allocated for aid in Israel. These aids include air and missile defense support and the refilling of US stocks supporting Israel militarily. The assistance aims to strengthen Israel’s military and bolster the country’s air and missile defense systems.³

Germany, the economic powerhouse of the European Union, is also amongst those that support Israel. In efforts to rectify relations with the Jewish community and fulfill her country’s responsibilities after the atrocities of the Holocaust, previous German chancellor Angella Merkel said, “The security and existence of Israel are tied to the foundation of modern Germany.”⁴ Sholz, the current German chancellor, reiterated the German government’s support for Israel, stating that “at this moment, there is only one place for Germany — the place at Israel’s side,” and, “Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel.”⁵ In strict support of Israel, Berlin took a harsh stance at home, banning all demonstrations from Pro-Palestine groups in Berlin, stating that anti-Semitism has no place in Germany. In addition, the defense ministry agreed to the Israeli request to TP combat drones and is processing requests for warship ammunition.⁶ 

Another country aligned with Israel in the war is the United Kingdom. In Parliament last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak struck a note of unity with Israel, condemning Hamas and expressing solidarity with Israel. While the UK has voiced support for Israel and defended Israel’s right to self-defense, the nation has also taken a more balanced approach. In the same statement, the UK urged Israel to uphold international law in any potential invasion of Gaza. In addition, the UK government has deployed military assets to the region to promote de-escalation and sent 37 million pounds in aid to the occupied Palestinian territory (but not Hamas).

Regarding the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, most Western liberal countries continue to voice their support for Israel. While some countries took a decisive stance to support Israel, others, like the United Kingdom, took a more balanced approach, supporting Israel while voicing concerns over potential violence.

Notes:

1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/09/joint-statement-on-israel/#:~:text=Our%20countries%20will%20support%20Israel,these%20attacks%20to%20seek%20advantage. ↩︎
2. https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-military-navy-carrier-e648c53dc53a46e2e12950784ea5e8d2 ↩︎
3. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/20/politics/us-israel-ukraine-aid-package/index.html ↩︎
4. https://www.npr.org/2023/10/22/1207912722/germanys-strict-support-for-israel-informed-by-history ↩︎
5. https://apnews.com/article/germany-scholz-israel-aid-hamas-b38a3cf34895fbfc0c966bb27413886f ↩︎
6. https://www.reuters.com/world/german-defence-minister-visits-troops-un-force-lebanon-2023-10-19/ ↩︎