A continent-sized superpower with hundreds of millions of citizens steeped in Christian tradition. A speck on a map half a world away with 8 million people, mostly Jews. They make for an unlikely friendship. Yet the U.S. and Israel are as close as any two countries. Advocates of the relationship see two societies built by immigrants immersed in democratic principles and refreshing informality. Skeptics see a lion held hostage by a mouse. U.S. patronage has clearly benefited Israel, where the relationship has long been viewed as sacrosanct. In the U.S., Israel is popular but there is disagreement over whether the closeness advances U.S. strategic goals.
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