By: C Shraddha
The existence of the United States-Israel relationship predates the statehood of the Jewish nation-state. On March 3, 1919, the 28th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, endorsed the creation of a “Jewish homeland in Palestine” known as the Balfour Declaration. He expressed, “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”. This materialised in the 1920s and 1940s when the US Congress pushed for the creation of the Jewish state through the endorsement of resolutions of the Balfour Declaration. Another instance of such American urgency can be traced back to May 14, 1948. On that day, the Provisional Government of Israel proclaimed statehood. 11 minutes later, the US became the first country to officially recognise the state of Israel. In the words of then-President Harry S Truman, “I had faith in Israel before it was established, I have faith in it now.”
Despite such early examples of international brotherhood, the initial two decades following statehood was quite the opposite. As a result of the Suez War, Israel fell out of favour with President Eisenhower. Consequently, Washington threatened to cut aid unless Israel withdrew from the captured territories. Meanwhile, the communist superpower, Soviet Union, threatened to fire missiles at the Zionist state if it did not withdraw from the area. Additionally, the nuclear programme of the state raised concerns for the Kennedy administration in the 1960s.
The “special relationship” as endorsed by President John F Kennedy thrived in the post-1967 war era. The Six-day war between Israel and the Arab axis of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan showcased the defence capability of the Jewish nation. Israel was able to defeat the Arab coalition, capture new territory, and minimize losses while receiving little to no support from international players or forces. Furthermore, the humiliating strategic position of the United States in the Vietnam war and their inability to actively intrude in the matters of the Middle East, framed Israel as a worthy ally in the region. As the Stanford University Professor on Middle East history, Joel Beinin aptly observed “What’s key about the ‘67 War was Israel defeated the Arabs hands down in six days with absolutely no American military assistance. What that said to the United States was, ‘These guys are good. We are in a mess in Vietnam. Let’s be connected to them’. Now, the Jewish nation was no longer a mere potential military foothold for the Americans, but it also served as a medium for repelling the socialist-communist ideologies propagated by the Soviet Union.
The 1990s and 2000s witnessed the uninterrupted flow of US aid to Israel under the Clinton administration, aimed at supporting the “sacred mission” of establishing lasting peace in West Asia. Clinton, along with the newly elected Prime Minister Ehud Barak, held a joint press conference in which the former urged the US Congress to hasten the US$ 1.2 billion aid reserved for Israel as per the Wye peace agreement. Additionally, Clinton stated the intent of the nation to continue offering aid to Palestinians and other Arab nations in an attempt to balance the delicate situation in West Asia.
In the context of Israel-Palestine relations, the stance of the US has slightly varied throughout the centuries. While consistent support for Israel has been the cornerstone of American policies, initial positions indicate an interest in assuming the role of a diplomatic mediator between the two parties. In 1998, Clinton served as a mediator between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat during the Wye River Memorandum. Although Israel agreed to give up control of parts of the West Bank in return for the Palestinian administration undertaking steps to prevent attacks against Israeli civilians, the promises fell apart not long after. Netanyahu lauded the memorandum by stating, “Today’s a day when Israel and our entire region are more secure. Now, this has required sacrifice from both sides and reaching into what Lincoln called the better nature of mankind.” However, despite his appreciation for the accord, Israeli forces never withdrew from the agreed 13.1 per cent of the West Bank. Furthermore, the US$ 1.2 billion was not released.
The relationship between the two countries can be superficially categorised into financial, ideological and military. Since its inception, the Jewish state has been the largest cumulative recipient of US aid, receiving approximately US$ 310 billion in military and economic assistance. While the US has provided assistance to other countries of the region, such as Iraq and Egypt, the enormous economic assistance received by the Zionist state’s military has enabled it to be the best in West Asia. Provisionally, the US has agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide Israel with US$ 3.8 billion annually till 2028.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, America has provided direct military aid of over US$ 12.5 billion through various legislations, including US$ 3.8 billion in March 2024 and US$ 8.7 billion due to a supplemental appropriation act in April 2024. As per analysts from Brown University, Linda J Bilmes, Stephen Semler and William D Hartung, Israel has received US$ 17.9 billion from the United States since the inception of the war. This figure entails the cost of replenishing weaponry for Israel by the US Defense Department.
This provokes the question of why the US is heavily invested in the Zionist state. Israel is the linchpin in America’s Middle East policy. Republican party Senator Lindsey Graham once referred to Israel as the “eyes and ears of America”. The country’s interests in the region are driven by several factors, including the oil abundance, which leads it to assume the role of a guarantor and mediator of regional stability. This can be witnessed across time periods. Despite ideological evolution and strategic realignment, the tactical basis for this relationship has remained the same throughout. For the US, Israel is an instrument through which it can control the radicalisation of West Asia and regulate threats of Islamic extremism and violence. Furthermore, the advanced military capabilities of the states have enabled them to bar the advancements of nuclear programmes and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the hands of volatile players such as Syria and Iraq.
Political scientist Brent Sasley has aptly summarised the Israel-US relationship. According to Sasley, the US views the other as a “force of stability” in the West Asia region. Sasley explains that “in the sense that Israel can stabilise what’s going on in the Middle East. If there’s fear of Jordan being undermined by an internal or external enemy, the United States sometimes turns to Israel to pose a threat to that threat.” However, experts have noted the drawbacks of this overly-invested alliance. While the heads of the states remain in collusion despite the genocide in Gaza, critics argue that the unwavering American support has jeopardised the nation’s stronghold over the region. International actors and scholars have criticised the Biden as well as Trump administration for aiding the ‘world’s most documented genocide’ and blatantly ignoring human rights under the guise of self-defence.
Despite such commentary, the US and Israel still continue to assist each other in traditional security measures through sharing intelligence on extremism, nuclear proliferation, terrorism and regional politics. Together, they have developed advanced military technologies such as the Arrow missile defence systems, David’s Sling counter-rocket and the Iron Dome. The Iron Dome, or the missile defence shield of Israel, was constructed with the components and financial assistance provided by the United States. As Israel boasts about possessing one of the most advanced defence systems in the world, President Donald Trump suggested the creation of a “Golden Dome”, a large-scale next-generation missile shield inspired by the Israeli model.
Furthermore, Israel remains home to a key US military base that serves the purpose of containing and blockading Iran’s nuclear development plans. In order to strengthen its strategic position, two months before the war broke out, the Pentagon granted a multimillion-dollar tender to a prominent Israeli construction company, Bryan Ashush JV or Ashush, for the expansion of the base. Known as “Site 512”, this US-classified base is situated on top of Mount Har Qeren in the Negev desert, with Iran as its primary focus. Hailed as the “life support facility,” it showcases the rising presence of the US in the Middle East while intending to fulfil a secondary objective, that is, to keep Iran out of the -Palestine conflict- an effort that has ultimately failed.
The decades-long United States- Israel alliance is one of the most controversial yet stable partnerships in the modern-day geopolitical environment. Since the inception of the state, the US has deemed the country to be a stable ally powerful enough to maintain the balance of the Middle East. As President Ronald Reagen voiced, “Israel is an integral part of the free world… Both a secure state of Israel and a stable Mideast peace are essential to our national interests.” While this relationship has proven to be advantageous to the administrations involved, it has raised criticism from all sections of society. The unwavering military and economic assistance provided by the US during the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has tarnished America’s moral credibility on the global stage. The blanket support provided by the superpower for the Jewish state in international organisations such as the United Nations has provoked accusations of selective justice. As the region continues to remain volatile, the constant intervention of the US leadership has inadvertently and disproportionately favoured Israel while failing to address the intensity of the underlying issues.
