Alexander Hamilton and Israel

Christians are being crucified in Syria. Mass, celebrated for 1600 years, has halted in Mosul. A bloody war in Israel has reached a possible ceasefire.  Smoke is billowing up from the rubble, children are dying, hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced, and streets are running with blood as ISIS, Hamas, and Israel continue in their respective wars.  With all of this despair and pervasive nothingness, I, along with other Americans, have wondered how the United States should respond to the violence in the Middle East given our relationship with Israel.  How does American foreign policy deal with such complex geopolitical issues?  Looking to Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists we can gain better insight.

Our current political sphere is, more or less, torn between two polar views of foreign policy: one is hawkish, the other is isolationist.  Both of these have their own flaws; their devotion to their respective ideals can be dangerous.  Thankfully, we have Hamilton and the Federalists to give us a more moderate, workable form of foreign policy than those mentioned above.  Here are a few key points of wisdom given to us by the Federalists.

1. Hamilton cautions that our policy should account for “the existing state of things, and the usual course of human affairs.”  Here, Hamilton is arguing that prudence must be used to incorporate the cultural, geographical, and historical experiences of a nation into our policy.  At the same time, he argues for military matters to be pursued with a sense of honor and glory simultaneously with an understanding of American interest, security and liberty.

2. In his Farewell Address, Washington declares that the United States should avoid permanent alliance and binding political agreements so that we can account for the security and liberty of our own people.  Second, American foreign policy should operate with benevolence, respecting the sovereignty of other nations.

Returning to our current position, we should understand that the Federalists never advocate for a “one-size fits all” foreign policy.  It is clear that they always advocate for the security (order and financial) and liberty of the American people before engaging in international conflicts.  So, when dealing with Israel, the United States should operate on a case by case basis, dealing with each international conflict accordingly.  This does not mean that we get involved with every action carried out by these nations, but when we do, we should operate with strength, honor, and decisiveness.  Israel, while a longstanding ally of the United States, has no more privilege to our foreign aid than the United Kingdom or Germany.

“It is not meant here to advocate a policy absolutely selfish or interested in nations; but to shew that a policy regulated by their own interest, as far as justice and good faith permit, is, and ought to be their prevailing policy.” -Alexander Hamilton, Pacificus Number IV