An Analysis Of Cultural Elements In U.S.-israeh Relations

The special relationship between the United States and Israel has been striking among theinternational affairs and has attracted heated discussions for the underlying motivation ofU.S. assistance of Israel. In this thesis, the aspect of the cultural elements in U.S.-Israelirelations will be explored. The United States and Israel share similar cultural traditions andthus their values resemble with each other to some extent. The United States is believed tobe an exceptional country. In the minds of the Americans, Israel is a democratic nationwhich is different from its neighboring countries in the Middle East. And it has attractedU.S. attention, thus the feeling of a cultural identity has arisen for their similar historicaland religious experiences.First of all, some of the historical experiences shared by the two countries will be discussedin a parallel order from two aspects, namely national establishment and immigration. TheJews had suffered from unbearable pains before the nation of Israel was built, and theUnited States was founded after successful resistance of the religious persecution in theOld World and the colonial oppression in the New World. And America has always beenknown as a melting pot. Israel is made up of many Jews, who have wandered around theworld and been influenced by foreign cultures and customs. In the second chapter, theAmerican identification with Israel in cultural values will be elaborated on from threeperspectives, namely, identification with the sense of chosenness, the expansionist spiritand the political system. And in the last chapter, the influence of culture upon the specialrelationship between the United States and Israel will be elaborated on and the U.S.-Israelirelations will be considered at full length. And discussions of the consequences will beprovided to study whether it is beneficial for America to consistently support Israel at largecosts of providing economic assistance and staining national image.