The Current Limits of U.S.-Israel Security Cooperation
by Shoshana Bryen GATESTONE INSTITUTE
This patronizing attitude is reflected in the President’s assertion that Israel’s democratically elected leaders “don’t know what’s in their own self-interest.” While missile defense cooperation continues, the administration has taken overt steps to tell the Arab and Muslim world that the U.S. is severable from Israel.
Shared values and democratic systems count for a lot in the political world — and they can advance military cooperation — but national security interests can evolve without them. No one would mistake Saudi Arabia or Bahrain for a country that shares American values, yet the U.S. Central Command works closely and cooperatively with both.
Israel shares American values in many ways, but a shared security outlook is something else, hinging on threat perceptions that may no longer be coincident.
Vice President Biden took to the stage at AIPAC this week to promote U.S.-Israel security relations. His emphasis on American support for Israel’s missile defense program is the coin of the realm – first because it is true and second because Israel’s enemies have missiles.
But security relations have undergone a subtle, negative change in the past four years.
The Obama administration has been willing to be Israel’s protector, patron to a client, or parent to a child. This patronizing attitude is reflected in the President’s assertion that Israel’s democratically elected leaders “don’t know what’s in their own best interest” and Vice President Biden’s comment that President Obama wants to hear from “regular Israelis” on his upcoming trip, suggesting that what he hears from Prime Minister Netanyahu would be disputed by Israel’s citizenry. The administration is less willing to be Israel’s partner in addressing common threats, including terrorism and the rise of radical Islam. And there has been a limit to consultation and cooperation on Iran. On occasion, the U.S. adds to Israel’s problems by allowing Israel to bear the brunt of the world’s disapprobation at the UN.
The History
Israel’s first strategic allies were France and Great Britain. The U.S. was sympathetic to Israel’s plight as small and vulnerable to threats from combinations of Arab states, but except for a desire not to have socialist Israel in the pro-Soviet camp and the 1956 Eisenhower outburst, the U.S. was uninvolved in Israeli security. President Johnson declined to be of assistance to Israel in the Six Day War.
Presidents Nixon and Reagan saw Israel in the Cold War context. Nixon stood with Israel as a defensive measure against the Soviet Union in 1973. Reagan opened “strategic cooperation” as a forward step in a plan to defeat the USSR. His idea of ballistic missile defenses was matched by Israeli innovation in the field; the result was tremendous advancement and in-depth cooperation.
At the end of the Cold War, President Clinton called for “capabilities based” defense to cover contingencies rather than specific enemies. Israel was well placed to continue to work with the United States and provide technological capabilities and test beds. Israel established warm relations with some of the newest NATO members, Poland and the Czech Republic, as well as with Bulgaria and Romania.
After 9-11, President Bush’s formulation of a “war against terrorists and the states that harbor and support them” resonated fully with Israel, and there was increased closeness and cooperation on perceived regional threats. But congruity of interests is never total. When American and Israeli positions on Iran diverged (about 2007), President Bush refused Israel weapons that could be used against Iran.
The Present
When the Obama Administration redefined the wars in which the United States is engaged, the words “Islamic” or “Muslim” terrorism and radical Islam were shelved in favor of more neutral appellations. In his Cairo address, President Obama sought to establish “mutual respect” between the West and the “Muslim world,” and he accepted the view that policies of the West were partly responsible for the antagonism of Muslims toward the United States. He called Israel’s independence a response to the Holocaust — a charge that fed into the Arab complaint that Israel was foisted on the region by guilty Europeans rather than by being a legitimate and permanent part of the region.
Without commenting on the approach itself, it should be noted that the independence of and continuing support for Israel is, by the definition of its enemies, part of what the West did and does that creates antagonism in the “Muslim world.” And for those who believe, as Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has said, that terrorists are created as a reaction to Western provocation, support for Israel is precisely such a provocation.
In terms of military cooperation, then, the President’s formulation reduced the ability of Israel to have equal stature with the United States in a regional mission.
The United States in the United Nations
At the outset, the Obama administration made it clear that the United Nations would be its preferred venue for diplomacy. In contrast to the Bush administration, the U.S. rejoined the UN Human Rights Commission and the UN Alliance of Civilizations, an openly anti-Israel body which claimed in 2006 that global tensions were driven primarily by the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and referred to the September 11th attacks as resulting from “a perception among Muslim societies of unjust aggression stemming from the West.”
It was in the Alliance of Civilizations that Turkey’s Prime Minister last week lumped Zionism with “Islamophobia” and anti-Semitism as racist doctrines and “war crimes.”
In the UN Security Council, the U.S. declined to support Canada’s traditional, once-a-decade bid for a seat. Canada, an outspoken supporter of Israel, lost to Portugal, a stalwart representative of EU ambivalence. The U.S. voted against the infamous “Goldstone Report,” but declined to use its influence to encourage others to do the same. The administration demanded a “total settlement freeze” from Israel and allowed Israeli policies to be denounced in the fiercest terms in the Security Council before exercising its veto. The U.S. brokered a Security Council “compromise” that allowed Israel to be criticized along with Syria.
The administration accepted the 2010 UN Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty Review that singled out Israel for condemnation – despite public statements that it would never do that.
Bilateral Cooperation while Preserving Distance
There has been an increase in Ballistic Missile Defense cooperation, which is good for Israel: its enemies have missiles. But it represents a completely defensive option. The administration is comfortable with the idea ofdefending Israel, but by putting Israel in the position of the “defense client” it was until 1980, rather than by enhancing its status as a “partner” in mutual defense — this is not a step forward.
Further, defense is irrelevant until after an attack. Any thought Israel has about protecting its citizens through pre-emptive measures is not covered. Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Congress, “I don’t want to be complicit if they [Israelis] choose to do it [attack Iran's nuclear program].” That remark must have greatly comforted Iran.
Austere Challenge, a once-cancelled U.S.-Israel missile defense exercise, did go forward at the end of 2012, but in a scaled back mode, most likely to reassure Iran that it was not cover for any offensive activity. In case this dodge was not clear, Gen. Craig Franklin, Commander of U.S. Third Air Force, repeated that point several times in a single interview before the exercise: “It’s purely to provide defensive capabilities with Israel. … This exercise doesn’t look at any particular threat, it looks at a threat scenario that is notional. … This is a military exercise not tied to any particular recent world event, it’s just a notional exercise. … As I mentioned, this is not related to any particular recent world event.”
While missile defense cooperation continues, the Obama administration has taken overt steps to tell the Arab and Muslim world that the U.S. is severable from Israel. The NATO-related air rescue operation Anatolian Eagle was canceled because Turkey would not let Israel participate. Last May, the Administration held Eager Lion 2012, a Special Operations exercise with 19 Arab and Muslim countries, including Egypt, Lebanon and Pakistan.
The tactics and training of Special Operations is an important component of Israel’s “qualitative military edge.” How much of what the U.S. and Israel developed over the years was shared with countries overtly hostile to Israel? Israel was not invited to the May 2012 NATO confab, although 13 NATO “partner nations” were invited to discuss terrorism. Two other US-organized and -led multilateral counterterrorism confabs excluded Israel as well.
When Turkey objected to the sharing of intelligence information with Israel, Secretary of Defense Panetta said no NATO radar intelligence would be shared “outside of NATO.” Secretary Hagel is unlikely to share what Secretary Panetta would not.
Cooperation for the Future
The U.S. and Israel continue to share values across the board, share capabilities in certain areas and to acknowledge common threats. President Obama’s visit to Israel later in the month would be an opportune time to think about how to end the current patron-client relationship and restore Israel’s position as a parallel security partner to the United States.
Shoshana Bryen is Senior Director of The Jewish Policy Center.
Obama’s trip will be used to “bypass” the GOI and reach out to the Israeli people. Obama was advised to do this ages ago by his “advisors”. After all when the messiah speaks it is expected that the Jews will listen and obey.
the notion of applying friendship to diplomacy and alliances is fraught with disappointment. A nation tends to do what it perceives to be in its best interests and especially the interests of the faction in power at the moment. This is the basis of aid to Israel, not friendship. Good judgement demands realism with regard to agreements and alliances. The US has consistently broke agreements with multiple parties and therefore, like any shnorer, should be viewed as unreliable. Althought the US has untold dependable benefits derived from its aid to Israel it has a tendency to view aid recipients as employees. Israel would do itself a great favor to develop alternative arrangements in independence from the US. the US and western govts will not hesitate to dump Israel in return. Like the ayatollah khamenie in his friday speeches at the university, wherby a captive young audience is pre arranged to avoid an empty mosque, Obama will likely want to give his speech in a university where there is an abundance of inexperienced minds regarding BS. Any nation who excludes Israel from a terrorist confab is a fool. Israel is likely the most experienced nation on earth who has developed successful methods of combating terror.
Bernard Ross Said:
This is largely true unless you happen to be Israel. In a world noted for winners winning and losers losing Israel has managed to turn that axiom on it’s head.
Vassals would be a more accurate term.
@ Bernard Ross:
Audio: Interview: The US is NOT a Superpower Anymore?
Defense analyst explains that the USA has lost its status as a superpower, and will never recover.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/Player.aspx#0#4552
Mordechai Kedar says:
March 10, 2013 at 1:00 am
another article in this direction was published some six months ago
http://mordechaikedarinenglish.blogspot.co.il/2012/11/sic-transit-gloria-mundi.html
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/4552#.UTzXkGfl8fs
Navy to pull aircraft carrier from Persian Gulf over budget worries
Wait till China and others call in trillions in loans to the US – then the market will be flooded with all kinds of US military hardware and advanced systems which Obama would be happy to suppl;y to his Islamist co-conspirators to pay down debt.
Wait till China and others call in trillions of loans to the US. Then Obama will have to sell all the advanced military weapons and systems it can produce at fire-sale prices to pay down debt.
@ yamit82: it s the same article I read already by ben menachem. I never found his defense industry expertise qualifications and much of his article was discussing the socio,political, economic causes of his “conclusions” as he sees it. He is therefore an expert in many fields. I found it short on facts and and the facts not necessarily conclusive.
@ yamit82:
The very sight of anyone from the Obama administration make me ill.
@ Bernard Ross:
It’s the audio interview not the article.
2nd link is from Kedar himself replying to the comment I posted.
Worth a read.
Honey Bee Said:
Would you say that if some came from Texas?
If I remember rightly, those were my exact feelings when Bush was POTUS.
Dean Said:
The Chinese know they will never get their money but they can barter for commodities or assets of the USA.
The Japanese Yen about to crash and they hold a trillion dollars of American debt. Matter of fact Japan herself about to crash and will impact everywhere.
@ yamit82:
You just don’t LIKE politicians!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I left you some romantic poems ,on anothercomment section, that you requessted along with futher Hamentashen filling instructions.
@ yamit82:
The USA will screw the Chinese just like we screwed the British rancher in the 1880ties
The whole idea of security cooperation between a huge global power like the United States and a tiny little country like Israel is something that deserves skepticism at the very beginning.
How could a global power like the US which ranges over seven time zones have anything to benefit from any scrap of land the size of Israel? It doesn’t make any sense and the fact that so many in the US see Israel as some kind of strategic ally can only be motivated by something besides national security. If the United States really is concerned about the security of Israel, then it should not expect Israel to contribute to US national security in return. If Israel is excited about making such contributions — and it clearly is — then the US should be a little surprised and grateful for the extra effort that such a contribution implies. But we see something less that a reliable concern from the US regarding Israel’s security. In fact, as a part of “cooperation” in security between the two countries, Israel is obliged to be patient and passive in existential threats and actual attacks on its citizens on a day to day basis.
How does this possibly qualify as security cooperation? And given the skepticism that we should exhibit in such declarations, what is Israel actually doing in contributing to US security? We need to consider that even among those who claim friendship with Israel and solidarity with Israel against threats, they may in the end do so with the view that Israel is a Jewish Quarter, something less than a nation, but not yet a ghetto. Not yet a ghetto, but only as long as Israel does not resist being treated like a ghetto and only as long as Jewish productivity continues to advance the economies of the same interested parties.
But clearly, if Israel continues to stand up on its hind legs like a nation and not a ghetto, then its enemies have the license to reduce it to a ghetto or nothing at all.
Dean Said:
I think China can be repaid in devalued US dollars, like the other debt holders, or with the same method China used to pay nationalized investors after their revolution. China is aware of where currency goesand will use it to buy hard assets they can use years from now. They are using their dollars to purchase assets and interests throughout the world. They are building cities which lie empty but will be used after the currency which built them is worthless. It is interesting that a nation with probably the least free market and greatest central planning has made gargantuan strides recently.
If you borrow ten thousand from the bank you should be worried but if you borrow 100 million the bank should be worried.
@ yamit82: I have not got to read all the links yet. The ben menachem audio link did not work when I tried it. I read your latest Kedar link but want to read it again.
Bernard Ross Said:
Try using explorer.
Honey Bee Said:
How was that?
Honey Bee Said:
I used to like Dickinson and John Donne. Many years since I’ve read them.
Filed your Hamentashen filling instructions for next Purim thanks.
@ Bernard Ross:
Bill O’Reilly Loses Patience with Alan Colmes’ Babbling Bullcrap
yamit82 Said:
I didn’t understand this show. It seemed like a lot of noise leading nowhere. Regarding proposals by Obama: O’reilly is claiming that he wants to see detailed proposals for cuts; Obama is not interested. Perhaps sequestration will give Obama what he wants. Perhaps he is in a better position with sequestration than what the pubs offer? He may be playing the game by his rules not theirs.
I think a lot of these talking shows are surreal and the talkers don’t get it. Obama wants to raise taxes on the rich, wants to expand entitlements, wants to print money: what’s so hard to understand by everyone. The worse things get the more votes he will get, its a long way still to the “tipping point” Soros knows this, he is probably making the appropriate investments. greenfield made a comment which hit it on the head in the other forum: Many vote for Obama because they perceive him to be the only thing between them and poverty. Whether their perceptions are right or wrong about Obama they have seen the net results of the other side over the last 30 years.
@ Paul:
There are many religious ,in the USA, who believe the fate of theUSA depends on how it protect Israel!!!! I have a neighbor who prays every night for Israel. They are anti-Amer. Liberal Jew and pro Zionist Israeli Jew.
1
@ yamit82:
Everytime Combs comes on TV C’boy starts cusing,He can really cuse,and in three languages. We saw that interchange,C’boy was worked-up all evvening. This weekend I shall have my annual St. Patty’s Day corn beef and cabbage Dinner. My Father loved Joyce as a young student,so we called our dinner St. Joyce Day. One of the participants said he would show me how to post links the I shall send one of my favorite Mexican poems. It is about swallows,do you have swallows in Israel?,like Indian and Mexican I could not live happily without them. I have busy day to today ,but will send you information on English Ranches. Check Union County War and Billy the Kid for a start.
Honey Bee Said:
Birds of Israel
Israel may be a small country, but thousands of birds annually take advantage of its passage-friendly flyway and the welcoming sanctuaries that dot the country.
The ancients considered Israel the center of the world, and it certainly feels that way if you look up at the sky in the spring and autumn. Half a billion migrating birds, more than 230 species, fly in Israeli air space on annual migrations between Europe, western Asia and Africa.
These journeys were noted long ago: “The stork in the heaven also knows her appointed times; and the turtledove, swift and the crane observe their time of coming” (Jeremiah 8:7).
“Tourists are sometimes afraid to visit here,” observes Alen Kasel, education director of the Jerusalem Bird Observatory, “but [the birds] never abandon us.”
This makes Israel one of the best places in the world to admire them. “All of Israel is one big place for birding,” adds Reuven Yosef, director of the International Birding and Research Centre in Eilat.
It is also a hot spot for local species. In addition to the transients, more than 270 other species are native to Israel. Altogether, there are 500 species, about the same number as in England and only 150 fewer than in the United States. While Israel’s location is politically problematic, for bird watching, notes Yossi Leshem, director of the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration in Latrun, “it is a Garden of Eden.”
Spring in Jerusalem brings thousands and thousands of huge black-and-white storks with bright orange beaks circling in flocks, spiraling upward until they reach the high-level winds that allow them to coast and glide the thermals.
Tiny Israel is a land bridge: The Syrian African Rift (4,200 miles from Turkey to Mozambique), a major flight corridor, creates a tube-like wind channel, a natural flyway that funnels birds into the country’s airspace. Because Israel is connected to Egypt, birds don’t have to make the arduous journey over the Mediterranean.