Israel-firster

English

Etymology

From Israel +‎ firster, influenced by and compared to America First (“American isolationist ideology”).

Noun

Israel-firster (plural Israel-firsters)

1. (informal, somewhat derogatory, politics) A person who places the interests and welfare of the State of Israel above those of the nation in which they reside.
   • 2010, James Petras, Zionism, Militarism and the Decline of US Power, page 78:

     The ZPC never lost a beat: Israel Firster and Zion-Con fanatic, US Treasury Under Secretary responsible for terrorism and financial intelligence, Stuart Levey, succeeded in convincing China to tighten trade credit ...

   • 2011, Norman G. Finkelstein, "This Time We Went Too Far" - Truth and Consequences of the Gaza Invasion, page 177:

     Former Israel-firster Andrew Sullivan chalked up the likes of Krauthammer as "victims of Israel Derangement Syndrome."

   • 2013, Josh Ruebner, Shattered Hopes - Obama's Failure to Broker Israeli-Palestinian Peace, page 75:

     The increasing proximity to the president of this quintessential "Israel firster" most likely played a role in reigning in Obama's initiative to completely freeze Israeli settlements.

   • 2014, Ben Shapiro, Bullies - How the Left's Culture of Fear and Intimidation Silences Americans, page 247:

     routinely used the white supremacist anti-Semitic slur "Israel Firster" to describe any Jew who was hawkish on Israel.

   • 2017, Johan Eary, Discussing Israel:

     Don't pull U.S. into this. You Israel firster should fight your own fights.

   • 2018, Colton C. Campbell, David A. Dulio, James A. Thurber (editors), Congress and Diaspora Politics - The Influence of Ethnic and Foreign Lobbying, page 236:

     One critic argued, "Kirk is a pure Israel-firster ... [H]e brings home the bacon for Israel big time.

   • 2019, Alan Dershowitz, Taking the Stand - My Life in the Law, page 478:

     It has also earned me the titles "Ziofascist", "Jewish Nazi", "Tool of the Likud", and "Israel Firster".

   • 2022, Richard Landes, Can “The Whole World” Be Wrong? - Lethal Journalism, Antisemitism, and Global Jihad, page 478:

     On the other, to fail to show sympathy for Palestinians was to out yourself as a heartless tribalist, an Israel-firster.

See also

• America Firster