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Mahesh

02/11/23 06:06 AM IST

The U.S.-Israel relations

In News
  • President Joe Biden travelled to Israel to declare solidarity with the Jewish state. Mr. Biden described Hamas as “unadulterated evil” and stated that America “stands with Israel”.
Historical Background
  • The U.S. had supported the idea of a Jewish homeland even before the state of Israel was declared within historical Palestine in 1948.
  • On March 3, 1919, two years after the Balfour Declaration, in which the British government declared its support for the creation of a “Jewish homeland in Palestine”.
  • The allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundations of a Jewish Commonwealth.
  • In 1922 and 1944, the U.S. Congress passed resolutions endorsing the Balfour Declaration.
  • The U.S. was the first country that recognised Israel in 1948.
  • Though the U.S. offered the state of Israel support right from the latter’s birth, the initial two decades of their relationship had not been very smooth.
Areas of concern
  • Washington threatened to cut aid to Israel if it did not withdraw from the territories it had captured.
  • The Soviet Union also threatened to fire missiles unless Israel withdrew, and finally Israel had to pull back from the areas it seized.
  • Similarly, in the 1960s, the Kenney administration had voiced concerns about Israel’s secret nuclear programme.
Current relationship
  • Israel is an exceptional ally of Washington.
  • The U.S. offers practically unconditional financial, military and political support for Israel, which has been occupying Palestinian territories since 1967.
  • Israel is an undeclared nuclear power but has never faced any global scrutiny or pushback, thanks to the protection offered by the U.S.
  • Israel is also the largest recipient of America’s aid — it has received $158 billion in aid from the U.S. since the end of the Second World War.
  • Currently, Israel gets $3.8 billion in military aid every year from the U.S., which accounts for about 16% of Israel’s total military budget.
  • The U.S. is also Israel’s largest trading partner, with annual two-way trade hovering around $50 billion.
  • Both Israel and the U.S. also have a deep defence partnership, which involves joint research and development and weapons production.
  • For example, the Iron Dome, Israel’s famed missile defence shield, uses parts built in the U.S. and the system is financed in part by the U.S.
  • With U.S. help, Israel has built a highly advanced defence manufacturing base, which has made the country the world’s 10th largest military exporter.
  • Since 1972, the U.S. has used its veto power over 50 times to strike down resolutions critical of Israel in the UN Security Council.
  • From the 1973 Yom Kippur war onwards, the U.S. has also offered solid military support to Israel in its conflicts.
  • In 1973, after Israel was taken aback by the surprise attack by Egypt and Syria, U.S. supplies proved vital for Israel to push back the enemy troops from the occupied Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula.
Why US always back Israel?
  • Israel’s strategic value in a volatile yet critical region makes it appealing for Washington.
  • During the Cold War, the U.S. saw Israel as a powerful bulwark against possible Soviet expansion in the Arab world.
  • After the Cold War, when the U.S. started becoming more and more involved in West Asia, it continued to see Israel as a force of stability, along with Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
  • Strategic value explains a close partnership or alliance, like America’s relationships with Japan, South Korea or Germany.
  • A host of other factors, including America’s public opinion, electoral politics and the powerful Israel lobby in the U.S., play a role in shaping the country’s Israel policy.
  • American Jews and evangelical Christians are two powerful, politically active groups in the U.S. They are important constituencies for both parties and they are both pro-Israel.
  • Then there’s a powerful Israel lobby in the U.S.,heavily influences U.S. policy towards Israel.
  • The lobby helps amplify pro-Israel voices, backs pro-Israel politicians and works toward playing down or neutralising voices critical of Israel.
  • The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a powerful pro-Israel lobbying group, hosts top leaders from both countries, including Presidents, Senators and Prime Ministers, for its annual gatherings.
  • Pro-Israel groups also support both parties in the U.S. financially.
  • For example, during the 2020 campaign, pro-Israel groups contributed over $30 billion (63% of which went to the Democrats and the rest Republicans).
  • Besides, there are strong ties between the military industrial complexes of both countries.
  • Therefore, all these factors together — Israel’s strategic value, America’s domestic politics, the presence of the pro-Israel lobby and military-industrial interplay, make sure that there’s an institutional consensus in the U.S. about its relationship with Israel, irrespective of which party or President is in power in Washington D.C.
Source- The Hindu

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