In a forceful opening statement during a recent debate, commentator and activist Shabbos Kestenbaum challenged what he described as a glaring double standard in American political and media discourse regarding foreign influence in the United States. While accusations are routinely leveled at Israel, Kestenbaum argued that far larger and more concerning forms of foreign involvement are largely ignored.

Kestenbaum pointed to findings by the Department of Education under Section 117 of the Higher Education Act, which revealed that Qatar alone has spent billions of dollars on American colleges and universities. He questioned why a foreign monarchy with no commitment to democratic values is funneling such vast sums into U.S. institutions of higher learning, and why this influence generates so little scrutiny.

He extended his concerns to China, noting reports that the Chinese Communist Party refers to Harvard’s Kennedy School as “their party school,” and to Russia, citing documented influence campaigns and espionage activities conducted through diplomatic facilities on U.S. soil. Despite these realities, Kestenbaum argued, political culture and media attention remain disproportionately fixated on Israel.

Turning directly to that fixation, Kestenbaum defended Israel’s record and legitimacy, describing it as a nation that emerged from the Holocaust to defeat multiple hostile armies and establish a democratic society with equal rights under law. He emphasized that Israel grants full civil and political rights to Arabs and Jews alike, highlighting the fact that an Arab Supreme Court justice once sentenced a Jewish prime minister to prison — an outcome unheard of elsewhere in the Middle East.

Kestenbaum framed the U.S.–Israel relationship not as a matter of sentiment, but of strategic necessity rooted in American history. He referenced the Founders’ understanding of alliances and common defense, noting that the young United States itself fought the Barbary War to confront Islamist threats abroad before they reached American shores. Alliances, he argued, are not optional luxuries but essential components of national security.

He then detailed the tangible benefits the United States derives from its partnership with Israel. American Abrams tanks use Israel’s Trophy active protection system. U.S. Marines rely on shoulder-launched weapons based on Israeli designs. Fighter pilots employ helmet-mounted targeting systems developed by Israeli firms. Much of America’s unmanned aerial vehicle capability traces back to Israeli innovation tested in real combat decades ago.

Kestenbaum also highlighted Israel’s role as a battlefield laboratory for Western defense systems. Israel flies American aircraft such as the F-15, F-16, and F-35 in live combat, generating critical data that saves the Pentagon years of development and strengthens U.S. competitiveness against adversaries like Russia and China. He noted Israel’s recent completion of Iron Beam, a directed-energy system capable of intercepting aerial threats at dramatically reduced cost.

Beyond conventional warfare, Kestenbaum underscored intelligence and homeland security cooperation. Israeli tunnel-detection technology originally used against Hezbollah is now employed by U.S. authorities to combat cartel smuggling at the southern border. Israel’s intelligence services have conducted daring operations against Iran’s nuclear program, and when the United States requires reliable human intelligence in the Middle East, Israel remains its most trusted partner.

Kestenbaum concluded by rejecting the narrative that U.S. support for Israel is charitable or ideological. Instead, he framed it as a mutually beneficial alliance that enhances American security, technological superiority, and global influence — and questioned why this partnership is uniquely vilified while far more troubling foreign influences escape serious debate.