Jews account for one-third of America’s top 100 richest people… Strong influence in the fields of politics, economy, culture, media, and science
The country in the world that receives the most US aid is Israel. Since independence in 1948, Israel has continued to grow under the strong support of the United States. The United States first recognized Israel as a state 11 minutes after Israel declared its founding at midnight on May 14, 1948. The military aid provided by the United States to Israel so far amounts to $260 billion (approximately 350 trillion won). In particular, it has provided military aid worth $3.8 billion (approximately 5.11 trillion won) every year.
The reason the United States fully supports Israel is because the Jewish community within the United States has exerted considerable influence in various fields, including politics, economics, culture, media, and science. The United States is the country with the largest Jewish community in the world after Israel. As of 2020, there are 7.6 million Jewish people in the United States. Even though they are a minority group that accounts for 2.4% of the total population of the United States, they have shown great power. In fact, one-third of America’s 100 richest people, one-third of Nobel Prize winners, 40% of professors at prestigious Ivy League universities, and 60% of those in the Hollywood film industry are Jewish. And 11% of federal senators and one-third of federal Supreme Court justices are Jewish. Most founders and CEOs of major U.S. companies are also of Jewish descent. Representative examples include Steve Ballmer, who co-founded Microsoft, Andy Grove of Intel, Mark Zuckerberg of Meta (Facebook), Sergey Brin of Google, and Larry Ellison of Oracle.
It is also important to note that the Jewish community dominates Wall Street in the United States, the world’s financial center. Financial institutions that dominate Wall Street, such as Goldman Sachs, Rothschild, Citigroup, Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Chase Manhattan, and Solomon Brothers, are all created or operated by Jews.
The media is no exception. World-renowned media tycoon Rupert Murdoch is Jewish. In addition, a large number of Jewish figures are working in major newspapers such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, current affairs magazines such as Newsweek, news agencies such as AP and UPI, as well as broadcasters NBC, ABC, and CBS.
Large energy companies such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell are also being moved by the Jewish community. There is also the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a civic group that has been said to control politics in the United States. When the AIPAC general meeting is held, the president, ministers, high-ranking government officials, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, as well as major figures from all walks of life gather.
In particular, Jewish voters have donated the largest amount of campaign funds in past U.S. presidential elections, U.S. House of Representatives elections, and gubernatorial elections. There is an unwritten rule that “the candidate who wins on Wall Street becomes president.” The Jewish community that dominates Wall Street has had such a strong influence. This is the background in which past presidents, regardless of their political party, have pursued pro-Israel lines and policies. For President Joe Biden, who is certain to be elected as the Democratic candidate in the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, or former President Donald Trump, who is likely to be the Republican candidate, the political funds donated by wealthy Jewish people are of utmost importance in financing enormous campaign expenses.
President Biden strongly condemned the surprise attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed faction Hamas on October 7 and declared support for Israel. This not only reflects the close relationship between the United States and Israel, but is also the result of being conscious of the country’s traditional vote base, Jewish voters. President Biden invited representatives of Jewish organizations to the White House on October 11 and pointed out, “This incident is the greatest attack against Jews since the Holocaust.” On October 18, President Biden became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Tel Aviv, the capital of Israel, which is waging war against Hamas. At the time, President Biden met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and said, “The United States is behind Israel.”
![Israeli army tanks are stationed in large numbers on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip. [Flash90]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2023/10/28/121908144.2.jpg)
Israeli army tanks are stationed in large numbers on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip. [Flash90]Public opinion is also on Israel’s side. According to a survey of 1,700 voters conducted by Quinnipiac University on October 17, 76% of respondents answered, “Supporting Israel is beneficial to the U.S. national interest.” When asked, “Do you sympathize with Israel or Palestine?” 6 out of 10 (61%) responded “Israel”, overwhelming Palestine (13%). Considering that the responses to the same question in May 2021 were 41% and 30%, respectively, we can see that the American people are also quite angry about Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
On October 20, President Biden requested a security assistance package budget from Congress, providing $61 billion (approximately 82.22 trillion won) and $14 billion (approximately 18.87 trillion won) in support to Ukraine and Israel, respectively. . In a speech to the nation on October 19, he emphasized, “It is important for American security that Israel and Ukraine win the war.” “We will ensure that Iron Dome (Israel’s missile defense system) continues to protect Israel’s airspace,” he said. “We will make it clear to hostile actors in the region that Israel is stronger than ever and we will prevent this conflict from escalating.” He also pledged, “It will be.”
It is significant that President Biden equates American security with Israel. The United States has already deployed nuclear-powered aircraft carriers the Gerald Ford and Dwight Eisenhower battle groups to the eastern Mediterranean close to Israel. It is extremely unusual for the United States to deploy two aircraft carrier battle groups to support Israel.
The United States also placed 2,000 ground troops and various units on ‘wait for deployment order’. In addition, tens of thousands of 155 mm artillery shells, which were intended to be provided to Ukraine, and various weapons, including armored vehicles, were provided to Israel. The United States has even deployed one additional THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) battery and Patriot battalions to the Middle East, and is also preparing to deploy additional ground forces. On October 19, Yemen’s Houthi rebels directly intervened by shooting down three missiles and drones launched toward Israel.
If the war between Hamas and Israel escalates despite strong support, the United States will inevitably fall into a ‘dilemma’. If Israel’s retaliatory attack causes large-scale Palestinian civilian casualties, so-called ‘resistance forces’ such as Iran, Syria, Hezbollah, a Lebanese armed faction controlled by Iran, and Yemeni Houthi rebels may attack Israel, escalating into the fifth Middle East war. . If Islamic countries such as Iran participate in the war and it escalates into a fifth Middle East war, the United States’ painstaking efforts to establish a Palestinian state in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank and coexist with Israel may be in vain.
Moreover, it is clear that the diplomatic relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which the Biden administration has been mediating behind the scenes, will also be resolved. For this reason, President Biden advised Prime Minister Netanyahu, “Israel must act according to the rules of war and ensure that innocent people in Gaza have access to medicine, food, and water,” and “We must respond separately to Palestinian civilians and Hamas.” . President Biden said, “Even if you feel angry, don’t get carried away,” and added, “After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, America was furious. “I made mistakes while pursuing and realizing justice,” he emphasized.
The problem is that if Israel engages in a ground war in the Gaza Strip, it is difficult to avoid the sacrifice of Palestinian residents. Kenneth McKenzie, former commander of the U.S. Central Command, pointed out, “Considering the complex terrain of the Gaza Strip, the ground war waged by the Israeli military will turn the Gaza Strip into a sea of blood.” When Israel deployed ground troops into the Gaza Strip in 2009 and 2014, 60% of the deaths were Palestinians.
It is not easy to distinguish between Hamas members and Palestinian residents. Moreover, if Hamas uses Israeli and foreign hostages as ‘human shields’, the situation will inevitably worsen. The best scenario that the United States hopes for is for Israel to surgically eliminate Hamas and minimize damage to the Palestinian people. In this case, an escalation of war can be prevented by preventing the intervention of Iran and Hezbollah.
It is unclear whether Israel will follow the United States’ recommendation to ‘refrain from excessive retaliation’. Israel has been retaliating against Hamas with an ‘eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ approach, without regard for the damage caused to Palestinian civilians. The UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights pointed out that Israel’s complete blockade of the Gaza Strip and its indiscriminate retaliatory airstrikes could also constitute a war crime. In addition, progressive Jewish groups that have supported the Democratic Party in the United States and Islamic groups that have criticized Palestinian civilian casualties are criticizing President Biden’s full support for Israel. The U.S. government and President Biden are in a dilemma over this difficult puzzle.
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Jang-Hoon Lee, international affairs analyst [email protected]
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.