Why is the alliance with Israel so important to the United States/US-Israel Relations - Research Paper Example

U.S.-Israel Relations: Why Is the Alliance Important to the United s? Israel is considered as one of the strongest allies of the United States of America in the world. According to a report from the Congressional Research Service, the “Israeli-U.S. relations are an important factor in U.S. policy in the Middle East, and Congress has placed considerable emphasis on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship” (Mark 1). As such, the United States played the key role in the state-building of Israel for the last six decades by providing the latter with political motivation as well as supporting it in all financial, military and diplomatic aspects (Bard). Because of this deep friendship with a small Arab country, political analysts, historians and policy makers are intrigued on the real reason behind the importance of this alliance to a superpower like the United States. Though the United States maintains that the friendship with Israel is brought about by their long history from the initial involvement of the former in providing a Jewish homeland to assist the survivors of the Holocaust in 1948 that eventually evolved into a strong partnership, many still believe that the strategic location of Israel in the Middle East, which is greatly beneficial for the presence of the United States in that part of the world, explains their tight knit alliance (Lewis 370). Traditionally, the alliance of the two countries has been explicated by the United States as a form of moral obligation, common strategic interests and shared cultural and political values (Eisenstadt and Pollock). The main assistance given to Israel is in the form of foreign aid like economic grants and refugee settlement assistance, among others. The U.S. Congress even ensures the maintenance of this close pact by emphasizing the significance of Israel in U.S. policies in the Middle East and by observing the aid that the U.S. makes available to the other and other concerns in bilateral relations (Mark 4). The resilience of the special relationship between the United States and Israel for the past fifty years is such an interesting phenomenon that the latter is treated with higher importance than other old allies or nearer neighbors of the former. To further describe their closeness, Lewis noted, “American presidents of both parties (United States and Israel) routinely pledge unqualified support for Israel’s security as do overwhelming bi-partisan majorities in both houses of the U.S. Congress; yet there is no overall treaty of alliance between the two countries” (364). Complicating Issues Although the special relationship between the United States and Israel is deeply rooted, several critical issues hound its alliance. First, the United States maintains its campaign for the peace process among the conflicting countries in the Middle East where Israel’s involvement is critical. President Bush supported the proposal of Prime Minister Sharon of a unilateral withdrawal from other claimed territories on April 14, 2004. “The President also agreed with Sharon’s position that future boundaries between Israel and a Palestinian state should recognize the realities of Israeli settlements” (Mark 6). The second issue involves the strategic cooperation between the United States and Israel. While the two countries are allies, there is no mutual defense agreement materialized between them. Several motions to strengthen their ties were established over the years. On November 30, 1981, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by Prime Minister Sharon and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger to create a basis for the cooperation between the U.S. and Israel opposing the Soviet Union. Another agreement was established in 1988 and 1989, giving Israel privilege in bidding contracts from the Department of Defense and giving them leasing authority in military supplies and equipment from the U.S., respectively (Mc Connell). The third concern is regarding the economic ties between the United States and Israel. As Bard and Pipes noted, “the growth of aid programs, trade, joint efforts, and American intervention in the Israeli economic system have made the United States and Israel remarkably interdependent.” Although the economic assistance has been reduced significantly over the last decade, military aid to Israel only grows higher as years pass. Lastly, terrorism and other issues on national security remain to be a concern. The different opinions of the United States and Israel in the treatment of terrorist incidents are a touchy subject especially among other U.S. allies that are in conflict with Israel (Eisenstadt and Pollock). Possible Solutions The opposing views on the claims of Israel among their occupied territories have mainly affected the policies that their country created in dealing with conflicting countries in the Middle East. Different opinions from the Israeli people were gathered regarding their claim on occupied territories such as the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. Some believe that they are entitled to these territories because of historical assertions; many are willing to withdraw from most areas except for those with historical significance and strategic military impact while a few want to claim all the territories regardless of anything. Israeli settlements in other occupied territories and its conflict with the Palestinians have also caused a major concern to the U.S. policies in the Middle East. Consequently, the United States’ presence and influence with Israel’s conflicts has been very evident throughout their history of alliance. For instance, U.S. openly sympathized with Israel’s disadvantage during the conflict with Syria regarding the Golan Heights. The unresolved issue for several years has kept the United States deeply concerned in assisting Israel if both parties request an international presence (Eisenstadt and Pollock). In addition, the issue of human rights in treatment of captured Palestinians by Israeli troops affects the friendship of U.S. and Israel. Reports on assassinations, detention without charges, beating, communal punishments and destruction of homes of leaders, among others, has made the United States publicly oppose such actions from its ally (McConnel). Another point is that the U.S. government is willingly to facilitate peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. A new policy in which the United States is subjected to inform Israel about peace negotiation plans before exposing the proposal to the public has received denunciations for it only makes the U.S. government lose its “independence and flexibility required for serious peacemaking” (“Israel’s Lawyer”). In addition, the United States government keeps on instructing Israel in ceasing any peace talks with Syria, even if the latter is already considering having one (Mark 11). Strategic cooperation was first tested when Israel broke the MOU in 1981 by seizing the Golan Heights in Syria amidst a mutual consultation to improve the two countries’ national security. After the abolition of the threat of the Soviet Union in the Middle East, there had not been any reasons to reinforce the mutual defense agreement between the U.S. and Israel before the war between Iraq and Kuwait emerged. From then on, the U.S. has been funding the military expansion program of Israel, supplying them with military equipment as well as emergency grants to cover costs of war damage with other Arab countries. The Joint Political-Military Group (JPMG) and Joint Security Assistance Planning Group (JSAP) were new MOUs created after a few years. JPMG was specific to the counter strategies against the Soviet threat in the Middle East, while JSAP involves the security assistance that the United States will offer to Israel (Bard and Pipes). In 1996, a Joint Anti-Terrorism Working Group was created. According to Bard and Pipes, “Israeli linked up to the U.S. missile-warning satellite system, which provides it with real-time warnings of hostile missiles” in 1997. Until today, the U.S. is still funding the research and development of military weapons and equipment of Israeli troops (Mark 12). Meanwhile, the economic ties of the two allied countries remain to be solid, as shown by the continuous financial aid of the United States to Israel even when the former has been educating other countries on alleviating their economies in these tough times. Israel was reported to have received aids amounting to $3.2 billion from 1949 to 1973 and a total of $75 billion from 1974 to 1997, making Israel one of the wealthiest countries in the world over time. If this is so, then the alliance that the United States is trying hard to protect is based solely on the peace process that Israel readily applies in the Middle East (Office of Management and Budget). Eventually, the economic aid of the U.S. government to Israel was reduced and was planned to be completely eliminated in ten years through the Economic Support Funds in 1998. Still, the Foreign Military Financing increased from $1.8 billion to $2.4 billion. In 2006, a total of $40 million was released for the settlement of immigrants from the Soviet Union back to Israel (Office of Management and Budget). The campaign of the United States in upholding the peace process in the Middle East has been revised as the time, opinions and positions in conflicts change. President Bush recommended “a three phase approach to peace, including a series of Israeli and Palestinian steps to be taken over a three-year period” in 2002 (Mark 5). However, too much involvement of the United States in the peace talks of the Middle Eastern counties only makes the former a subject of criticisms from political observers. As an envoy of peace, the U.S. government needs to weigh the matter of influencing reconciliation and assisting Israel and other allies in ending the senseless wars for once and for all (Bard). The strategic cooperation on the U.S.-Israel alliance continues to build up as effective joint programs in military and anti-terrorism efforts are at hand. This collaboration can be used to enhance the national security in the face of modern terrorism threats, and to further engage in cooperative military endeavors (Bard and Pipes). On the issue of economic ties, the financial and military assistance of the United States to Israel should be gradually reduced as the current economic crisis that hit the world is still evident in the global economic market. A free trade agreement was created in 1985 to enable Israel enter the U.S. market without committing any tariffs. This resulted in an increase in the volume of two-way trade, garnering over $11 billion in 1995 from only $4.7 billion in 1985. The exports of the United States to Israel have doubled in total in the last 10 years, in which a new agricultural trade agreement between the two countries was launched (Lewis 368). Aside from these policies, institutions for the motivation of joint research and development of the United States and Israel were established under the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation in 1977 with a $55 million capital fund from each country (Lewis 369). Although financial aid has been close to nothing since the 1980s, the extent of military grants given to Israel is still significantly high. Still, the U.S. government conducted ways of providing assistance other than financial and military aid. For example, the United States, together with Israel and Egypt, had diverted “$50 million in ESF aid from Israel and $50 million in ESF from Egypt to create a $100 million ESF fund for Jordan to support Jordan’s efforts in its peace with Israel” in 1997 (Mark 13). Recommendation The ties binding the United States and Israel are deeply connected with various factors that make their relationship withstand the test of time and conflicts. Among the complicating factors of their alliance, possible solutions are already in place to fix them. The United States’ strong concern on the peace process in the Middle East has gained positive views as 44% of Americans thought that the support that the U.S. gives out to Israel is just the right amount according to a poll in 2006. Although a sizeable part of the voting population does not understand the reason behind the commitment that the U.S. extends to Israel; some still consider the latter a strategic ally which is essential in fortifying the presence of the United States in the Middle East (“CBS News Poll: Fighting in the Middle East”). The cooperation of Israel in asserting its power among its Arab neighbors is a significant gain in the position of the United States in one of the richest area of the globe. The strategic cooperation between the U.S. and Israel encompasses a tried and tested partnership that survived several wars and conflicts. The continuous mounting of mutual understanding agreements between the two countries is essential in crafting the specific needs of the situation. Also, this is one way of maintaining the commitment and special relations as the conflicts in the Middle East still remain. Finally, the economic tie between the allies is a substantial matter that needs to be addressed. Given that the current economic world crisis greatly affects the United States’ superpower status, the great potential of Israel in helping the U.S. maintain its key position in Middle East affairs is still of great importance. Hence, the gradual reduction of financial and military aid is in agreement; however, it should not be completely eliminated. Summary Indeed, the heavily guarded special relationship between the United States and Israel is a strategic agenda that the former maintains in order to strengthen its presence in the Middle East region. Being one of the key players in the long standing conflicts among the Arab nations, Israel greatly benefited to the economic and military assistance that the United States extended over the years. The alliance between the two nations is important for the United States in commanding a strong international presence in the peace process in the Middle East. As such, the United States acknowledges its strategic cooperation with Israel and, in turn, assists the development of Israel’s economic freedom as well as its military weaponry and equipment advancement. Works Cited Bard, Mitchell G. “Roots of the U.S.-Israel Relationship.” Jewish Virtual Library. n.d. Web. 26 Sep. 2012. Bard, Mitchell G., and Daniel Pipes. “How Special is the U.S.-Israel Relationship?” Middle East Quarterly. Jun. 1997. Web. 26 Sep. 2012.  "CBS News Poll: Fighting In the Middle East." CBS News. n.d. 27 Sep. 2012. Eisenstadt, Michael, and David Pollock. “Asset Test: How the United States Benefits from Its Alliance with Israel.” Strategic Reports 7. Sep. 2012. Web. 27 Sep. 2012. "Israel's Lawyer." The Washington Post, 23 May 2005. Print. Lewis, Samuel W. “The United States and Israel: Evolution of an Unwritten Alliance.” Middle East Journal 53.3 (1999): 364-378. Print. Mark, Clyde R. “Israeli-United States Relations.” Congressional Research Service. 9 Nov. 2004. Web. 27 Sep. 2012. McConnel, Scott. “The Special Relationship with Israel: Is it Worth the Costs?” Middle East Policy Journal. n.d. Web. 27 Sep. 2012. Office of Management and Budget. “The White House". Whitehouse.gov. n.d. Web. 26 Sep. 2012. Read More