On Monday, October 20, 2025, the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, in conjunction with the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program, hosted Dr. Daniel Samet in conversation with Straus Center Senior Scholar Dr. Tevi Troy. Part of the Presidency from the Jewish Perspective series, the two discussed the history of U.S. and Israel defense coordination and policy in the context of the American presidency.
Dr. Samet, a Jeane Kirkpatrick Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), began the conversation by discussing Dr. John Mearsheimer and Dr. Stephen Walt鈥檚 controversial book, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, which, as Dr. Samet described, argues that the relationship between the United States and Israel is not based on shared interests or values, but by the political lobbying of AIPAC and similar organizations. According to this argument, the U.S. would actually be better off if it could free itself from the influence of the Israel lobby and pursue a strategy that better aligned with U.S. interests.
According to Dr. Samet, this thesis does not hold up when scrutinized. Dr. Samet pointed out that there are many groups that lobby on behalf of other countries 鈥 Cubans, Turks, Armenians 鈥 but they are rarely singled out. It is only the Jews advocating for Israel that warranted the attention of a full book by Dr. Mearsheimer and Dr. Walt. Instead, Dr. Samet argued that the special relationship between the two countries has been driven by American national interests, which he defined as 鈥淎merican security, American prosperity and American liberty.鈥
Dr. Samet then dived into how American presidents of the last 40 years interacted with and impacted Israel, discussing Bill Clinton and George W. Bush鈥檚 failed efforts to get to a two-state solution; Barack Obama鈥檚 rocky relationship with Jerusalem, which included both the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and a record memorandum of understanding that gave Israel $36 million in aid and helped develop and fund the Iron Dome; Joe Biden鈥檚 liberal Zionism that led him to both defend and criticize the country; and Trump鈥檚 steadfast support of Israel that has led to unprecedented developments such as moving the embassy to Jerusalem, the Abraham Accords, and the 2025 ceasefire with Hamas, which led to the return of the last living hostages held in Gaza. Each of these presidents, Dr. Samet argued, did not pursue these strategies because of a lobbying group, but because they believed they would benefit both America and Israel.
Following Dr. Samet and Dr. Troy鈥檚 conversation, the floor was opened up to questions from the student body in attendance. Answering a question on the possibility of the election of an anti-Israel American president, Dr. Samet said that it could happen, but that it would not be the first time. He pointed to the example of Dwight Eisenhower, who backed the Egyptians over the Israelis, the French, and the British in the Suez Crisis of 1956 and was described by Dr. Samet as 鈥渘ot warmly disposed toward Israel.鈥
Dr. Samet also fielded a question on wavering support for Israel among Republicans, with commentators like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson leading the charge. Dr. Samet argued that while these personalities do have a large viewership, Republicans in general still hold a positive view of Israel, especially once they become aware of the security and intelligence benefits Israel provides.
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