Passover is not a holiday for the timid. It is the season of rupture, of memory, of refusal. It is the night we remember that freedom was never handed to the Jewish people by a sponsor, a committee, or a powerful patron with strings attached. Freedom came from God, from courage, and from the stubborn decision to walk out of Egypt before Pharaoh had the courtesy to approve it. That is why this Passover is as good a time as any to say to Israel: if you want to be truly sovereign, then think seriously about the crippling habit of depending on American financial aid.

This is not an argument against friendship. America has been, and remains, a vital ally. The bond between the two countries is real, strategic, and often deeply moving. But friendship is not the same as dependency, and alliance is not the same as tutelage. A nation that receives billions year after year from abroad does not merely receive help; it also absorbs expectations, warnings, pressures, and........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)