WhatsappThe relationship between the United States and Israel has seen ups and downs since the formation of the State of Israel. But the truth is that the leadership of the United States of America and the leadership of the State of Israel have largely worked rather well together due to the similarity of many of the values that stand at the core of both countries.
The high points between the two countries – in terms of cooperation – that stand out are the very first days of the State of Israel, when Harry S. Truman stood by the side of the newly formed State of Israel. This should never be seen as a minor episode. The State of Israel was formed by a leadership that was largely a group of socialist ideologues. This took place right as the Cold War was forming and those with socialist leanings were more associated with the Soviet Union than with the United States. But David Ben-Gurion and President Truman were able to both see that as the years would evolve, Israel would be more in the orbit of modern Westernized countries. The support of the United States in 1948 was one of the most critical episodes in shaping Israel’s very existence and standing in the volatile Middle East.
The Eisenhower administration had a more cool approach towards the State of Israel and the diplomatic fallout at the end of the Suez Crisis in 1956 reflected this. But Israel was still struggling to grow from its infancy into adulthood while the United States was focused on Cold War battles in East Asia, so the US-Israel relationship was a sidelines issue. The 50’s were largely not a very eventful time between the two countries.
The 60’s saw some critical turning points. Aid from America began albeit in a minor fashion, and Israel began to see new leaders at the helm. The Kennedy and LBJ administrations were rather friendly with Israel. But the big story was not the US-Israel relationship. It was Israel’s growth as a military power in the region as they exhibited in the miraculous Six Day War and the costly War of Attrition. The most important aspect – from the US perspective – was Israel’s defeat of Soviet-trained and Soviet-armed Egyptian and Syrian soldiers. Eyebrows were raised in capitols all over the world. Israel was a force to be reckoned with and was here to say.
This pattern of Israel’s military defeating Soviet-trained soldiers would repeat itself in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. But in the very first days of the War, Israel took a terrible beating, and the US-Israel relationship was tested. President Nixon ultimately stood up for Israel and rescued Israel by sending a massive weapons airlift that enabled brave Israeli soldiers to repel and then defeat the attacking Egyptian and Syrian Armies. It was a massive victory for Israel that was enabled by American military supplies.
The Carter Administration was known for its hostility towards Israel, but the Peace Accords between Egypt and Israel were indeed a major accomplishment. Jimmy Carter spent the last 4 decades of his life lambasting Israel at every turn. But during his Presidency, he was not as harsh vis-a-vis Israel.
The ensuing Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush #2 administrations continued the US aid to Israel and had their moments of tension. But the low point was clearly the 8 years of the Obama administration. Supporting Israel was clearly not a priority for President Obama. But Prime Minister Netanyahu ably maneuvered Israel forward – especially the economy – despite the US pressure to weaken Israel.
Today’s Trump administration has featured historic cooperation wherein Israelis soldiers and US soldiers are serving side by side to destroy the radical Islamic threat emanating from Iran. Even if there are moments of tension, the big picture is truly impressive. The two allies are very close and cooperate well with each other – better than nearly any other ally of the United States in the world.
Will this closeness last for many years? If so, for how long?
