The relationship between the United States and Israel is frequently explained through the language of military cooperation, intelligence sharing and common strategic interests. Yet its historical foundations run much deeper. For centuries, America’s political culture has drawn upon biblical ideas of covenant, liberty and national purpose, creating a moral and intellectual tradition that has consistently shaped public support for Jewish self-determination and the modern State of Israel. Understanding this history helps explain why the partnership has endured across changing administrations, geopolitical upheavals and shifting international priorities.

The strategic partnership between the United States and Israel is often viewed through the lens of military cooperation, intelligence exchanges and regional security. Those dimensions remain indispensable, but they do not fully explain the resilience of the relationship. Long before Israel emerged as a modern state, American political thought had already absorbed ideas rooted in the Hebrew Bible, creating a distinctive tradition that continues to influence the alliance today.

The intellectual connection predates the founding of the United States itself. Seventeenth-century Puritan settlers viewed the biblical story of ancient Israel not simply as sacred history but as a model for their own experiment in self-government. When John Winthrop delivered his famous 1630 sermon, A Model of Christian Charity, he concluded by invoking Moses’ exhortation to the Israelites before entering the Promised Land, framing the fledgling colonial enterprise as a covenant founded upon shared moral obligations rather than mere political........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)