US-Israeli Relations

The US-Israeli “special relationship” is virtually unprecedented. Israel has received more American aid than any other country since World War II, a whopping $170 billion by the end of the current ten-year aid package. Few, however, are truly familiar with the details of the remarkable story of US-Israeli relations.

On the military level, the relationship goes far beyond extensive military aid. It also includes joint strategic planning and dialogues, strategic military cooperation, joint military exercises and weapons development, extensive intelligence exchanges, pre-positioning of American weapons, counterterrorism and counter proliferation programs, and more. The US has played a particularly critical role in providing diplomatic cover for Israel’s purported nuclear capabilities.

US support for Israel is, however, far more than just military assistance, including the critical American role in the promotion of regional stability and peace, which greatly contributed to the successful peace negotiations with Egypt and Jordan. US support for Israel in the Security Council and other international forums has prevented the imposition of severe sanctions on Israel for decades. The US has also played a critical role in Israel’s transformation into a dynamic modern market economy, the second largest center of high-tech in the world, one of five top cyber powers.

In addition to a detailed description of the strategic dimensions of the “special relationship”, the talk will present four critical questions: whether the price of the “special relationship” has been a loss of much of Israel’s freedom of maneuver and independence, whether Israel could even survive today without the US, where the relationship is heading and what we should be doing about it. The talk will argue that there are significant clouds on the horizon, stemming from changes in American demography that will have a deleterious impact on the relationship, regardless of possible differences on policy issues.

Talk Titles

• The “Special Relationship” – The Remarkable Story of the US-Israeli Love Affair
• Aipac, JStreet or JDate: The Future of the US-Israeli Relationship
• Clouds on the Horizon: The Future of the US-Israeli “Special Relationship”