As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary in 2026, the milestone demands more than parades and patriotic reflection. It requires a stark national audit. America stands at a historic crossroads, tested by a level of domestic division and ideological tribalism not seen in generations. For the pro-Israel community and American Jews alike, the outcome of this crisis is not a matter of abstract political theory—it is a matter of survival.
The profound insight at the heart of Eldad Tzioni’s timely book, Reclaiming the Covenant, is that the American Republic does not run on autopilot. It is sustained by a covenant—a shared commitment to ordered liberty, the rule of law, and civic responsibility. When that covenant fractures, the consequences ripple outward, threatening not only the domestic tranquility of the United States but the security of democratic allies worldwide, most notably the State of Israel.
The Canary in the Democratic Coal Mine
Historically, America’s genius was its foundation on a proposition rather than organic markers like blood, soil, or ancient ancestry. Membership in the American project demanded allegiance to a constitutional order that created space for distinct minorities to thrive as equal citizens.
For American Jews, this covenant has historically provided an unprecedented haven. However, the recent and alarming explosion of antisemitism—festering on the far left, the far right, on university campuses, and in the halls of civic power—shatters the illusion that this security is permanent. The mainstreaming of anti-Zionism and the hostility directed at Jewish citizens by public figures signal a deeper rot.
When the American covenant is strong, Jews are protected by universal principles. When it weakens, identity politics and tribal rage replace persuasion, and Jews inevitably become the scapegoat. This domestic vulnerability is intimately tied to America’s foreign posture. An America that loses the capacity to protect its own minority citizens from mob intimidation is an America that will inevitably lose the moral clarity required to stand firmly beside Israel.
Shared Covenants, Shared Vulnerabilities
The bond between the United States and Israel is often described in terms of shared strategic interests, but its bedrock has always been shared values. Both nations are democratic experiments forged by covenantal ideas.
Israel, like America, is a nation that requires constant maintenance and defense against hostile forces. Tzioni introduces the concept of Derechology—derived from the Hebrew word Derech (path or way). A path must be cleared, repaired, and actively walked. Political systems, alliances, and civic cultures are all subject to entropy. If they are not actively maintained, they decay.
Right now, we are witnessing the decay of American civic habits. The rise of ideological free-riders—citizens who consume the fruits of liberty while actively undermining the structures that protect dissent and minority rights—poses a direct threat to the US-Israel relationship.
- On the extremes of the left: Justice is weaponized to dismantle constitutional structures and cast Israel, the Middle East’s only pluralistic democracy, as an oppressor.
- On the extremes of the right: Institutions and norms are treated as disposable in the pursuit of factional victory, fostering an isolationism that views vital democratic allies as unnecessary burdens.
When America’s internal architecture weakens, its capacity to serve as the anchor of the free world collapses. Israel cannot rely on a fractured, tribalized America that has forgotten its own founding principles.
The Imperative of “Anti-Entropic” Action
The founders built a brilliant system, but as Benjamin Franklin famously warned, it is “a republic, if you can keep it.” The Constitution is an architecture of maintenance, not a guarantee of immortality.
For the pro-Israel community, supporting the US-Israel alliance means actively participating in the renewal of the American covenant. We cannot simply advocate for foreign policy outcomes while ignoring the corrosion of the civic culture that makes those outcomes possible. The defense of Israel and the fight against antisemitism are inextricably linked to the defense of American constitutional literacy, virtue, and institutional integrity.
As we approach 2026, the anniversary of this great American experiment should not be a mere victory lap. It must be a renewal ceremony.
The next 250 years of American leadership—and the continued vitality of the US-Israel alliance—will not be secured by the brilliance of the founders or the momentum of the past. They will be secured only if this generation is willing to pick up the tools of maintenance, reject the comfort of complacency, and do the hard, disciplined work of keeping the Republic.