[Jerusalem Post] Efraim Inbar - Washington still understands that Israel remains its most reliable ally in the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean. There is no other state in the region where an American airplane can count with certainty on being welcomed in the near future. American allies such as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey all have a record of denying the U.S. military use of their facilities. Moreover, the stability of their regimes cannot be taken for granted. Israel is one of the few countries in the world that does not see U.S. primacy in international affairs as a troubling phenomenon. In fact, Israeli foreign policy displays an unequivocal pro-American orientation. The American military uses Israeli training installations and has continuous access to Israeli intelligence, military experience, and doctrine. Similarly, the greater American effort to defend its homeland from terrorist threats has intensified U.S. cooperation with Israel. The writer is professor of political science and director of the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University.
2006-10-13 01:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive