Is American foreign policy always a cool rational neoliberal calculation or do the delusions of the general public have meaningful impact?
Is American foreign policy always a cool rational neoliberal calculation or do the delusions of the general public have meaningful impact?
Not very. Your expectation is the cause and effect in reverse. Israel is necessary for US dominance, so the US fabricates reasons to legitimize Israel.
The US state does not respond to democratic inputs unless the leverage is overwhelming; the right does not really have this leverage in evangelical votes to make the state support Israel; support of Israel is in fact, support of the US state. Israel is a surrogate to ensure and extend US regional dominance in the ME.
If the US does not find Israel useful and instead antagonistic to its interests, it’d excise Israeli lobbies and influences in a heartbeat.