ABSTRACT
To explore the US-Israel relationship is to enter a world of illusions and misperceptions. For most Americans, misperceptions have not just overtaken, they have replaced the reality of the relationship. Discourse in which evidence is presented and assessed has been replaced by repeated assertions of strong convictions. It is impossible to briefly summarize the multifaceted and rapidly evolving US-Israeli relationship, but certain themes and threads run through the ways Americans and Israelis perceive themselves. The phrase ‘America’s Israel, Israel’s America’ neatly encapsulates the dichotomies and dilemmas surrounding the visions Americans and Israelis have of each other. The element of possession, control, or at the very least influence, of one over the other is integral to the characterizations of the relationship by both Americans and Israelis – whether they are supporters or critics of the relationship.
