Israel Matzav

Why America loves Israel

Therefore, most Americans do not consider the Jewish State a typical foreign policy issue, but also a domestic issue, closely related to America’s core values. The current stormy “Arab Winter”, along with US frustration with NATO conduct in the battle against Islamic terrorism, spotlights Israel as America’s only stable, credible, capable, democratic and unconditional ally in the Middle East, and probably in the world. Israel has been America’s battle-proven and cost-effective laboratory for military systems, generating for the US defense industries thousands of modifications and upgrades, worth mega billion dollars and expanding the US employment, exports and research and development bases. Israel has shared with the US its experience in battling Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), car bombs and suicide bombers, which has spared American lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.

Israel has been the outpost of Western democracies in an uncertain, unpredictable, violent region which is vital to critical economic and security Western interests. In 1970, Israel’s posture of deterrence repelled Syria’s invasion of Jordan, which threatened Saudi Arabia and other oil producing Gulf states and in 2011, Israel constitutes – according to the late General Alexander Haig – America’s largest aircraft carrier, which does not require a single American on board, cannot be sunk and saves the American taxpayer some $20BN annually. The special affinity toward the Jewish State has prevailed since the arrival in 1620 of William Bradford’s “Mayflower,” which departed from “the modern day Egypt – Britain – crossed “the modern day Red Sea” – the Atlantic Ocean – and arrived in “the modern day Promised Land” – America. The enduring solid support of enhanced US-Israel ties has been uniquely bottom-to-top-driven, nourished by popular sentiments, sometimes in defiance of temporary tenants in the White House. According to a May 26, 2011 CNN poll, 67%:16% support Israel over the Palestinian Authority. According to a February 2011 Gallup poll, 68% consider Israel an ally of the US. According to a February 2011 Rasmussen Report poll, most Americans oppose foreign aid to Arab countries but support foreign aid to Israel. And, according to an April 2010 Quinnipiac poll, 66%:19% would like President Obama to improve his attitude toward Israel. In fact, most legislators on Capitol Hill – who constitute a co-determining, equal in power branch of government – do not share Obama’s attitude toward Israel. They have been a bastion of support of the Jewish State.

US-Israel relations have been based on a unique infrastructure of shared values, joint interests and mutual threats. The foundation of shared values - which highlights the cradle of Jewish history – has moderated periodical tensions/crises between the leaders of both countries, preventing a long term rift. Israeli Prime Ministers leveraged this unique infrastructure during 1948-1992, highlighting the historical Jewish deed to the Land of Israel, fending off occasional pressures by American Presidents, while systematically enhancing US-Israel strategic cooperation.

Labels: American support for Israel

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:55 AM