Dual Loyalty

Dual loyalty is a concept that has been a concern to the American intelligence community since the creation of Israel in 1948. It refers to the perceived conflict of allegiance for American Jews who also have strong commitments to the security of Israel. This concern has led to practices such as routinely barring American Jews from dealing with Israeli issues inside CIA headquarters and excluding them from Hebrew language training in the NSA.¹

Lewis L. Strauss's actions, particularly his private approval of Israel's nuclear weapons program despite his public stance against proliferation, exemplify the issue of dual loyalty. The notion of dual loyalty, however, is not solely a Jewish problem, as the incredible travails and sufferings of Jewish survivors during World War II garnered enormous appeal from Americans of all backgrounds. The primary effect of "dual loyalty" has been a form of self-censorship that has prevented the United States government from dealing rationally and coherently with the strategic and political issues raised by a nuclear-armed Israel.¹