This is not the first time the question has been asked, but it may be the first time it has been answered by an ordinary, everyday, Bible-believing American with no political connections or agenda.

We are speaking, of course, about whether or not the State of Israel can count on the United States to help defend in the event that it is attacked by one or more surrounding nations. But the scope of the question could easily be extended to any kind of needed aid at any point in time.

My opinions are rooted in the fact that I am proud to be an American. Not that I had much to say about it, having been born in America to parents who were born in America. My patriotism ends, however, where our federal government begins. It’s not the form of government that bothers me; it’s the overt actions and covert agendas of many in leadership positions. This is simply an explanation of my “American perspective.”

Five Reasons Israel Cannot Count on America

1.    Americans are self-centered. The current generation has inherited the good life that the hard work of our grandparents and the prosperity of our parents bestowed on us. Because our parents could, they strove to make our lives more comfortable and convenient than theirs. Of itself, that is not a bad thing. The problem comes when it becomes the expected thing. The habit of having things done for us and given to us evolves into an expectation of entitlement. What my rights are and what I am entitled to are entirely self-centered. Logic tells us that we cannot be self-centered and be other-centered at the same time.

2.    Americans are ignorant. Again, ignorance is not a bad thing. Most Americans have no idea of what the world is really like on the east side of the Atlantic, the west side of the Pacific, and south of the Caribbean. Indeed, few realize how different life is north of our borders in Canada. The few average Americans who think they know what life is like outside of our borders are those who have been tourists. A week’s vacation abroad, and they come home thinking that they know all there is to know about where they have been – and the rest of the world. Other than people who travel internationally for business, the majority of the rest of Americans are clueless about life in other countries.

3.    Americans are opinionated without reason. I believe that this is a result of self-centeredness and ignorance. Without an informed worldview, without pondering the difference between what the eyes see and reality, all we are left with are opinions based on fantasy with no facts. Watch this four-minute video from Watters World, a Fox News person-in-the-street featurette regularly broadcast on the Bill O’Reilly Show. You’ll see what I mean.

4.    Americans do not understand existential threats. Immediately after the 9/11 tragedy, sales of American flags skyrocketed. They were proudly on display on house-after-house on street-after-street in cities all across the country. Nearly 15 years later, American flags flying from homes are rarely seen. As a populace, we do not comprehend living with our very existence being threatened. Rocket’s red glare and bombs bursting in air are just words in a song. Ergo, they cannot begin to understand Israel’s plight.

5.    Americans are carefree about freedom. For the most part, only those who have engaged in battle – or their loved ones – seem to understand the cost. For those who do have a sense of the cost, many are unwilling to pay the price, even if it was in defense of our own country.

The sad thing, from my perspective, is that none of these are political reasons. The tragedy on that front is that I, personally, cannot trust leadership that kowtows to Israel’s enemies for the purpose of “peace in the Middle East.” I do not believe that should be the American government’s agenda, or the UN’s agenda either. It is a fruitless endeavor.

I see the Biblical injunction as praying for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6). I take that to mean to pray for the peace of all of Israel as well. That is what Americans should be seeking, but, alas, that does not appear to be our political agenda. There will be peace in Jerusalem only when the entire city is in the hands of its rightful owners.

One Reason Why Israel Does Not Have to Count on America

So it comes to this: Does Israel need to be able to count on America? I say not. “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of Yehovah ‘elohiym” (Psalms 20:7). When G-d brings the peace that Israel longs for, He will do it by the power of His own might. He will not offer land for peace, but will conquer Israel’s enemies and return to Israel all the land He has promised. He does not need America to do it for Him.