Ahead of the President’s Trip, a Primer on U.S.-Israeli Security Relations

In his first overseas trip of his second term, President Obama will visit Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian territories later this week. Israel’s security has been a priority for the Obama administration in the first term, with unprecedented security cooperation and support. However, the relationship is more than just strict security cooperation. There are important regional and political issues on which the two countries must work together, as Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu settles into a changed coalition and President Obama looks to build his global legacy.

In first overseas trip of the second term President Obama visits one of our most important allies, whose security has been a priority. The United States and Israel maintain close security cooperation based on a U.S. commitment to maintain Israel’s “qualitative military edge” over other countries in its region. The Obama administration has stepped up security assistance as well as military and intelligence cooperation to unprecedented levels.

Increased security assistance: Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs Andrew Shapiro explains, “The Obama Administration is proud to carry on the legacy of robust U.S. security assistance for Israel. Indeed, we are carrying this legacy to new heights at a time when Israel needs our support to address the multifaceted threats it faces. Despite these budget constrained times our commitment is unshakeable. For Fiscal Year 2012, the Administration requested more than $3 billion in security assistance funding specifically for Israel, the largest such request in U.S. history… Our funding commitment directly supports Israel’s security, as it allows Israel to purchase the sophisticated defense equipment it needs to protect itself, deter aggressors, and maintain its qualitative military edge.” [Andrew Shapiro, 11/4/11]

Military cooperation: Eli Lake of Newsweek reported that the administration has given “support that has drawn the two nations’ militaries increasingly close even as their leaders seem politely distant. The aid, U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed to Newsweek, includes the long-delayed delivery of 55 powerful GBU-28 Hard Target Penetrators, better known as bunker-buster bombs, deemed important to any future military strike against Iranian nuclear sites. It also includes a network of proposed radar sites—some located in Arab neighbors—designed to help Israel repel a missile attack, as well as joint military exercises and regular national-security consultations.” [Eli Lake, 9/25/11. Ehud Barak via Fox News, 8/3/11]

Iron Dome: Shapiro explains, “last year, the President asked Congress to authorize $205 million to support the production of an Israeli-developed short range rocket defense system called Iron Dome. The funding for Iron Dome is above and beyond the $3 billion in Foreign Military Financing we provide. Iron Dome is part of a comprehensive layered defense against the threat of short range rockets fired at the Israeli population. Our funding enables Israel to expand and accelerate Iron Dome production and deployment and improve its multi-tiered defense against short-range rockets.” [Andrew Shapiro, 11/4/11]

U.S. and Israel security establishments are intertwined at many levels: Shapiro outlines how deeply the two countries’ security establishments are intertwined: “For instance, joint exercises allow us to learn from Israel’s experience in urban warfare and counterterrorism. Israeli technology is proving critical to improving our Homeland Security and protecting our troops. One only has to look at Afghanistan and Iraq, where Israeli armor plating technology is being used on U.S. military vehicles and innovative equipment, such as the specially designed ‘Israeli bandage,’ is being used to treat our troops. The links between our two governments and U.S. and Israeli defense companies have yielded important groundbreaking innovations that ultimately make us all safer. This involves sensors, unmanned aerial vehicle technology, surveillance equipment, and detection devices to seek out IED’s that support our forces.” [Andrew Shapiro, 11/4/11]

The U.S.-Israel relationship is multifaceted. The two nations are interwoven through social and cultural connections, bilateral trade (the U.S. being Israel’s largest single trading partner), joint military exercises, high-level economic development and security dialogues, and research collaboration.  [State Department fact sheet, 11/28/12]

The U.S. and Israel have significant shared challenges ahead:

Middle East Peace Process: Middle East peace is a fundamental national security interest of the United States. General David Petraeus, while running U.S. military operations in the Middle East as Commander of CENTCOM, testified before Congress: “The enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests in the AOR [CENTCOM Area of Responsibility]. Israeli-Palestinian tensions often flare into violence and large-scale armed confrontations. The conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel. Arab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of U.S. partnerships with governments and peoples in the AOR and weakens the legitimacy of moderate regimes in the Arab world. Meanwhile, al-Qaeda and other militant groups exploit that anger to mobilize support. The conflict also gives Iran influence in the Arab world through its clients, Lebanese Hizballah and Hamas.” Dennis Ross, Middle East adviser to three of the last four presidents and co-founder of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said, “In this region, pursuing peace is instrumental to shaping a new regional context… it would deny state and non-state actors a tool they use to exploit anger and grievances.” [Gen. David Petraeus, 3/16/10. Dennis Ross, 5/6/11]

Iran: TIME’s Massimo Calabresi sums up the state of play, “Netanyahu, who faces new political challenges at home, has rolled Israel’s deadline back to late spring or early summer, and recent reports say Israeli intelligence thinks Tehran may be on an even longer fuse. The well-regarded U.S. think tank the Institute for Science and International Security says the earliest Iran could get the Bomb is mid-2014. Experts credit the cyberattacks with significantly setting back Iran’s nuclear program. And Iran itself has slowed down its efforts, converting some enriched uranium to a form that can be used only in research, not in weapons, thereby keeping its total enriched uranium under the amount needed to make a nuclear weapon. To make up for the drop in Iranian oil exports and a possible rise in crude prices, Saudi Arabia has stepped up production. If both sides seem to be wishing for peace even as they threaten war, it’s because the costs of conflict would be so high. An overt U.S. attack to set back Iran’s nuclear program would likely mean the deaths of American service members–and civilians too, if Iranian-backed terrorist groups downed commercial airliners or launched other attacks against soft targets. The Federation of American Scientists estimates that the cost of open war to the world economy could be $1 trillion to $1.7 trillion, when spiking energy prices and trade disruptions are factored in.” [TIME, 3/11/13]

 Israel-Egypt security: As Brian Katulis of the Center for American Progress explains, “Although problems remain and the bilateral Israel-Egypt relationship is far from perfect, there are very active efforts underway to maintain the commitments made in the 1979 Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty… When former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was pushed from office two years ago, many observers worried about the imminent collapse of the peace treaty. This hasn’t happened—in large part because it remains in the overall national interests of both countries to maintain this security framework. It is also due to engaged leadership, support, and military support from the United States to both Israel and Egypt… The United States serves as an important interlocutor in this dialogue.” [Brian Katulis, 3/11/13]

 Syria: Syria’s ongoing civil war and instability presents serious humanitarian and security challenges to Israel and the region as a whole. In January Reuters reported, “Israeli warplanes bombed a convoy near Syria’s border with Lebanon, sources told Reuters, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah in what some called a warning to Damascus not to arm Israel’s Lebanese enemy.” [Reuters, 1/30/13]

What We’re Reading

 Negotiators from around 150 countries gathered in New York for a final push to hammer out a binding international treaty to end unregulated conventional arms sales.

President Barack Obama told an Israeli television channel it would take Iran “over a year or so” to develop a nuclear weapon from the time it decided to do so.

Syrian rebels broke through a year-long government blockade in the city of Homs after fierce clashes.

UN-backed reconciliation talks began in Yemen aimed at drafting a new constitution and preparing for full democratic elections in February 2014.

India’s Supreme Court said Italy’s envoy does not have legal immunity, in an escalating row over Rome’s refusal to return two marines charged with murdering two Indian fishermen.

European markets fell sharply as Cyprus debated a bailout proposal that would tax all deposits in Cypriot banks and raised speculation of a renewed economic crisis in Europe.

Venezuela’s acting president Nicolas Maduro accused the U.S. of a “plot” to kill his political rival and trigger a coup before the April 14 election.

Rebels in the Central African Republic have detained their five ministers in the government and threatened to break a ceasefire unless prisoners are freed and other demands met.

The International Criminal Court is to hold a special hearing to review its case against Kenya’s President-elect, Uhuru Kenyatta.

China has criticized a U.S. plan to strengthen its missile defenses in response to North Korea’s growing military capabilities.

A North Korean propaganda website has warned of strikes against Southern islands and advised residents to leave.

Commentary of the Day

Peter Feaver offers one take on myths of the Iraq War.

Vali Nasr discusses why Iran may be ready to deal.

Martin Jacques explains why the Chinese don’t want Western democracy.

E.J. Dionne notes the contradictions within the GOP debate on American power.