Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT) made an unapologetic case for the U.S.-Israel relationship this week, telling Breitbart’s Alex Marlow that the Jewish state occupies a category no other American partner can fill — the ally willing to act inside hostile territory when Washington holds back.
“The one ally who is there in the belly of the beast who will do the missions we won’t, who will kill the enemies we can’t is Israel,” Sheehy said during an appearance on “The Alex Marlow Show.”
The remark, first flagged by Breitbart, captures a framing that has become central to how many congressional Republicans talk about Israel: not simply as a beneficiary of American support but as a force multiplier that absorbs risk and carries out operations the U.S. military or intelligence community is unwilling or unable to undertake itself.
A blunt distillation of the alliance argument
Sheehy’s formulation is notable for how directly it states the transactional logic behind the partnership. Rather than emphasizing shared democratic values or historical ties — the language that has traditionally anchored American support for Israel in both parties — the Montana freshman frames the relationship around capability and will.
That argument has gained currency among Republicans as the Middle East has shifted over the past several years. Israel’s campaign against Hamas in Gaza, its operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and its direct exchanges with Iran have all been cited by supporters as evidence that Jerusalem is prepared to use force in ways that Washington, for political or strategic reasons, often is not.
The sentiment Sheehy expressed is not new. Versions of the “we do the dirty work” argument have circulated in Israeli and American defense circles for decades, and Israeli leaders have long pitched their country to Washington as a reliable proxy and intelligence partner in a volatile region.
Where the senator sits
Sheehy, a former Navy SEAL and businessman who won his Senate seat in 2024, has been among the more vocal Republican defenders of Israel since arriving in Washington. His military background shapes how he talks about the issue — he tends to describe the alliance in operational rather than diplomatic terms, focusing on what each side is willing to do rather than what each side is willing to say.
His comments arrive at a moment when the terms of American support for Israel remain a live debate in Congress. A minority of lawmakers, mostly Democrats, have pushed to condition or curtail military assistance over the conduct and civilian toll of the war in Gaza. Republican leaders, by contrast, have largely moved in the opposite direction, seeking to lock in and even expand the relationship.
Sheehy’s remarks align him firmly with that latter camp, and they telegraph how he is likely to argue the case as aid packages and arms transfers continue to move through the legislative process.
Where the interview aired
The interview took place on “The Alex Marlow Show,” hosted by Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow. The program airs coast to coast on weekdays from noon to 1 p.m. Eastern on Salem Radio Network stations, and it also runs at 9 p.m. Eastern on the Salem TV news channel. Marlow’s podcast, “The Alex Marlow Show Presented by Breitbart News,” is released weekdays at 9 p.m. Eastern and is available on YouTube, Rumble, Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Breitbart published a clip of the exchange, which focused on the senator’s assessment of Israel’s role among U.S. allies.
The debate that follows the quote
Critics of the “Israel does what we can’t” framing argue that it oversimplifies a complicated relationship and risks drawing the United States into conflicts it might otherwise avoid. Supporters counter that the alternative — an America without a capable, willing partner in the region — would require far more direct U.S. involvement, not less.
Sheehy’s answer to the question posed in the segment — whether Israel is really America’s best ally — was effectively yes, and his reasoning rested less on shared institutions than on shared enemies and a shared willingness to confront them.
Whether that argument continues to carry the day in Congress will depend on how the next round of votes on Israel-related funding and weapons shipments unfolds. For now, the Montana senator has staked out a clear and unhedged position: in his view, Israel is not merely an ally of convenience but the one ally positioned to act where others won’t.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/19/is-israel-really-americas-best-ally-sen-sheehy-explains/