From Bipartisanship to Dysergia: Trends in Congressional Actions Toward Israel

Support for Israel among members of the US Congress has been a puzzling exception to congressional involvement and interest in the realm of foreign policy. Members of Congress have consistently debated and passed resolutions in support of Israel and in repudiation of its foes, showing strong bipartisan support for Israel. This paper systematically examines congressional involvement by identifying trends in congressional actions concerning Israel since 1973. The data include all bills and resolutions that deal specifically with Israel. We pay attention to the quantity, type of bills and resolutions, and their support to illustrate a detailed account of the overall changes in the level and nature of support for Israel. We find an active and bipartisan Congress concerning Israel that follows the general trends of congressional involvement in international affairs, and identify a recent development in congressional support for Israel where both parties are becoming less cooperative in expressing their support.