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In-Depth Issues:
Israeli Security Official: "Iran Currently Has No Chemical Capability that Threatens Us" - Yossi Yehoshua ( Ynet News)
A senior Israeli security official told Ynet Wednesday that "at this point in time, Iran has no chemical capability that threatens the State of Israel."
The remarks were made after a New York Times report that Israel warned the U.S. it has intelligence indicating Iran is considering using chemical weapons against its enemies.
Iran Turns to Guerrilla Tactics in Bid to Reassert Grip on Strait of Hormuz - Summer Said ( Wall Street Journal)
Iran is resorting to guerrilla tactics to try to stop the flow of oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz.
Tehran has launched bomb-laden undersea drones, fired rocket-propelled grenades and deployed crews to attach limpet mines to ships that shuttle oil out of the Persian Gulf to waiting tankers.
The U.S. military in the region says the waterway is cleared of Iranian mines, but for weeks the IRGC has claimed that mines laid by its forces in the strait have damaged commercial ships.
Gulf officials say those assertions are designed to sow panic among shippers and doubts about the Americans' demining effort.
The scope of Iran's attacks has expanded, going beyond tankers to strike containerships, bulk carriers and gas carriers including those anchored outside the strait.
Hizbullah Returning to "Pilot" Areas in South Lebanon - Elisha Ben Kimon ( Ynet News)
100 days have passed since the IDF handed control of three villages in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese army as part of a pilot program, but Hizbullah is gradually returning to the areas it evacuated to reactivate parts of its civilian networks and reestablish its influence among the local population.
Talks between Israel and Lebanon have been stalled for months, and there is still no agreement on how to ensure that the Lebanese army is actually dismantling Hizbullah's infrastructure.
Israeli officials say the Lebanese army is not conducting sufficient searches and is avoiding entering private homes or searching private property.
The IDF continues to hold defensive positions and continues clearing the area, although with significantly fewer troops than during the period of intensive operations.
Syria's Campaign Against Hizbullah - Seth J. Frantzman ( Jerusalem Post)
Hizbullah backed the Assad regime for years, and the new government of Syria views Hizbullah as a threat.
Syrian security forces have increasingly sought to dismantle Hizbullah-linked networks, seize weapons shipments, and prevent Hizbullah from reestablishing a presence inside Syria.
The campaign has included arresting Hizbullah operatives, operations against weapons smuggling, and clashes along the Lebanese border.
The recurring arrests also illustrate the continued threat of Hizbullah.
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Do Not Mistake Israeli Democracy for Weakness - Amb. Danny Danon ( Times of Israel)
The turnout in the Israeli Knesset election on Oct. 27 was 77.7% of eligible voters, the highest in Israel's history.
Most importantly, the election results should daunt our enemies. Since Oct. 7, Israel has fought valiantly against the threats that surround us: Hamas in Gaza, Hizbullah in Lebanon, and the Iranian regime itself.
All the major Israeli parties share the same philosophy: that Israel must address these threats and ensure they can never attack Israel again.
Israeli citizens have proven that in a region of extremism, our democracy remains a beacon of hope to the rest of the world, and that we will fight to protect it.
Eight months after devastating joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, Iran is rebuilding its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
An IRGC spokesperson this month threatened to turn Israel into "scorched earth," and displace our residents to the Sinai Desert. So long as Iran can deliver on these threats, we take them seriously.
Hizbullah itself admitted that it is preparing for confrontation with Israel. Iranian weapons and funds continue to arm radical extremists that seek Israel's destruction.
In the first election since Oct. 7, Israelis demonstrated that a secure and prosperous Middle East remains a top priority, and that we will defend our country from those who threaten to destroy it.
Our message to the Iranian regime is clear. We will not stand by as Iran doubles down on its radical agenda. We will protect our people.
The writer is Israel's Ambassador to the UN.
60,000 Christians, Jews March in Peru in Support of Israel - Mathilda Heller ( Jerusalem Post)
More than 60,000 people marched in Lima on Saturday to participate in the March of Life, an international movement that brings together Jewish and Christian communities to honor the memory of the Holocaust, express support for Israel, and condemn antisemitism.
At the event, attended by Israeli Ambassador to Peru Gali Dagan, participants wore white T-shirts, and carried Israeli flags.
Dagan highlighted two Peruvian diplomats, Jose Gambetta and Jose Barreto, who facilitated passports so that persecuted Jews could escape Europe and find refuge in Peru.
He also expressed his gratitude to the Government of Peru for its decision to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.
IDF to Deploy New Israeli-Made Artillery - Yuval Azulay ( Calcalist)
The IDF has begun incorporating new self-propelled howitzers supplied by Elbit Systems. The "Ro'em" (Thunder) will gradually replace the American-made M-109 howitzers that have been in service since the 1970s.
The Ro'em is mounted on a ten-wheeled Oshkosh truck chassis and can travel on roads at 90 km. an hour.
While the older artillery systems can fire up to four shells per minute, the Ro'em can fire up to eight rounds per minute at ranges of up to 40 km. It can also fire while moving.
Israeli AgTech and WaterTech AreTaking Root in Colorado - Noam Bedein ( Jerusalem Post)
At Schell Farms outside Sterling, Colorado, cameras and ground-penetrating radar, designed in Israel, are bolted to a center pivot and scan the corn and soil on every pass.
"When corn is 10 feet tall in July, you can't see what's happening in the middle of the circle," said Daniel Schell.
"Having the pivot tell my phone, 'Hey, nozzle 14 on span 3 is clogged,' before the crop shows stress, that's huge."
Israeli company Autonomous Pivot sells an annual membership instead of a $50,000 hardware package and now runs more than 800 systems across the High Plains.
A Century of British Betrayals of Jews and Israel - Lenny Ben-David ( Substack)
The Balfour Declaration of 1917 committed Britain to supporting a Jewish national home in Palestine. It marked a high point in British-Jewish relations, but British policy and practice repeatedly undermined the promise.
Over the decades that followed, British authorities restricted Jewish immigration, obstructed Jewish self-defense, curtailed religious practices, and accommodated leaders hostile to the Jewish national home.
The episodes examined here reveal repeated betrayals of a commitment Britain itself made to facilitate a Jewish national home.
In the latest episode, on Sept. 21, 2025, the British government recognized a Palestinian state, while Israeli hostages remained in Gaza, amid Israeli warnings that the move would reward Palestinian terrorism.
The writer, a former AIPAC official and Israeli diplomat, is a research fellow at the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
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News Resources - North America, Europe, and Asia:
- U.S. to End Military Aid to Israel by End of Year - Marianne LeVine
President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. would cut off military aid to Israel by the end of the year, suggesting the phaseout of grants to the U.S. ally could occur much faster than expected. Trump told Fox News, "We've already agreed that by the end of this year, we won't be paying Israel."
"Netanyahu and I...made a deal months ago that we're stopping and they're fine with it. They've become a very successful country. They don't need it. Why should we suffer the slings from lunatics like [Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul] El-Sayed when they don't need it? It's a bad talking point....It's almost too easy a target."
Lawmakers have drafted legislation that would shift funding from foreign financing to defense investments and co-production on military technologies between the U.S. and Israel, including on missile defense and counterdrone technology. (Wall Street Journal)
- Billions of Dollars in Orders Complicating an End to U.S. Aid to Israel - Jared Malsin
American military aid to Israel is structured in a way that allows Israel to use pledged future funding to buy equipment before receiving the money. Even if the 10-year memorandum of understanding agreed to by the Obama administration ran its full course to 2028, Israel would still need approximately $10 billion to pay for outstanding orders as of April 1, according to a State Department document sent to Congress. These include Israel's plan to buy a squadron of 25 new F-35 jet fighters.
American lawmakers have drafted legislation that would shift funding from foreign financing to defense investments and joint production of military technologies. Moreover, current U.S. law commits the government to ensuring that its military exports give Israel a "qualitative military edge" over potential rivals. Cutting off aid would make that more difficult. Even with U.S. aid, Israel now spends 7% of its GDP on defense, more than any NATO member. (Wall Street Journal)
News Resources - Israel and the Mideast:
- Trump's Sudden Aid Cutoff Will Mean Reprioritizing Israel's Upcoming Arms Buys - Emanuel Fabian
After President Trump announced an earlier-than-expected cutoff of $3.8 billion in annual military aid set by a 10-year MOU approved by President Obama, Israel must now assess which weapons are worth tax hikes or budget cuts and what it can afford to wait on or live without. Nearly all of the aid goes to purchasing U.S.-made arms. Without the U.S. aid, Israel will still seek to purchase American weapons. The Air Force relies almost entirely on U.S.-built platforms.
Israel has already increasingly shifted to local production for some munitions after former President Biden delayed some weapons transfers during the war in Gaza. Whether Trump follows through on cutting the aid immediately, or the transition happens somewhat more gradually, Israelis already dealing with ballooning defense costs seem to have little choice but to make peace with U.S. military aid becoming a thing of the past sooner rather than later. (Times of Israel)
- IDF: Gaza Strikes Kill 7 Terrorists, including Hamas Commander Who Held Hostage - Emanuel Fabian
Seven Palestinian terror operatives, including a top Hamas commander who held an Israeli hostage, were killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza this week, the IDF and Israel Security Agency said Wednesday. One strike on Sunday in Gaza City killed Jamal Abu Saeed, who served as chief of operations in Hamas's military intelligence. "During the war, Abu Saeed held Omer Shem Tov captive on behalf of Hamas." Shem Tov was abducted by Hamas from the Nova music festival on Oct. 7 and was returned to Israel on Feb. 22, 2025.
In another strike on Sunday in Khan Yonis, four members of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad were killed. (Times of Israel)
Global Commentary and Think-Tank Analysis:
Iran
- Mr. Vice President: The Problem Was Not the Iran War. It Was the Ceasefire - Ari Fleischer
[In response to Vice President Vance's remarks on the reasons behind the U.S. midterm election results]:
Mr. Vice-President, please allow me to present a different perspective. The problem was not the Iran War. It was the ceasefire. If you start a war, you need to win it and finish it - otherwise don't start it.
This war should have been over six months ago, with the Strait of Hormuz wide open and oil flowing. The second and third tiers of Iranian leadership should have been destroyed, and we should have supported the pro-Western forces who could have taken leadership.
We stood on the brink of a new, more peaceful Middle East - and then we blinked. We had a chance not only to deny Iran nuclear weapons, but to get rid of the world's biggest supporter of terrorism. Instead, we had a ceasefire, which was followed by months of will we or won't we finish the job.
In June 2025, America was not involved. This was an Israel vs. Iran issue. No one forced the U.S. to attack Iran then, or in February 2026. It was a decision made by President Trump. In my opinion, it was the right decision. Once the decision was made, we should not have stopped until the regime fell. But instead, you negotiated a ceasefire that didn't last, didn't work, and left us in no man's land, with higher prices and our troops still deployed.
The writer served as White House press secretary for President George W. Bush (2001-2003). (X)
- Israel Has Made Regime Change in Iran Its Main Strategic Objective - Prof. Efraim Inbar
Seeking a lasting solution to the Iranian threat, Israel has adopted the ambitious objective of overthrowing the regime in the Islamic Republic. On Feb. 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel jointly launched the war against Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the aim was to remove the existential threat posed by Iran and create the conditions for Iranians to reclaim their country. On Oct. 18, he stated that Israel had adopted a policy of regime change in Iran.
Regime change has become the preferred alternative to endless cycles of sabotage and escalation. Israeli leaders seem to have concluded that fighting Iran's proxies while leaving their sponsor intact is unsustainable, since precise strikes can delay Tehran's capabilities only temporarily.
Iran's missile and drone strikes reinforced the view that the long-standing threat from Iran and its proxies stems from the regime's radical ideology, not just its capabilities. This shift in Israel's security thinking reflects a new assessment that the Iranian regime is weaker than ever.
The writer, professor emeritus in political studies at Bar-Ilan University, is the founder of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security. (Jerusalem Post)
The U.S. in the Middle East
- U.S. Is Removing Security Umbrella that Protects Arab Allies - William A. Galston
Thomas Barrack, America's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy to Syria and Iraq, laid out a significant change in U.S. Middle Eastern policy at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, on Oct. 20. "America as the guarantor to the world, for the last 80 years, it is no longer there." Applied to the Middle East, that means the Gulf states can no longer rely on the U.S. security umbrella.
"Everybody is saying if we have America and we are selling oil and gas in dollars and we buy weapons in dollars and we have bases of Americans...we are going to have free seas, and we are going to have a security guaranty. All of a sudden, that doesn't happen."
The erosion of U.S. security guarantees in the Gulf has been underway since 2019, when President Trump failed to respond to Iranian and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. As Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure escalated in the summer of 2026, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally asked Trump to take military action against the Iran-backed militia. Trump offered intelligence and targeting support but rejected direct U.S. military involvement.
Barrack explained, "The president has been clear that he supports Saudi Arabia, and the backing they need logistically he will supply, but America getting involved in a ground kinetic battle somewhere else sounds fruitless."
Surely many countries now hosting American bases will ask whether that still makes sense if it makes them targets of Iran and its proxies without providing security. The U.S. may ask itself about Iranian strikes against U.S. bases this year that have killed at least 21 Americans, wounded hundreds, and inflicted billions of dollars in damage. America must now choose between undertaking a costly effort to harden our bases and pulling back from the most vulnerable ones, a decision which may bring Tehran closer to its long-term goal of American withdrawal from the region. (Wall Street Journal)
U.S.-Israel Relations
- What the 2026 Midterm Elections Mean for Jewish Americans - Steven Windmueller
With the election of a number of progressive critics of Israel, the 120th Congress will be the least pro-Israel in modern American history. Antisemitic incidents were a part of this election cycle, and the election of a significant number of critics and DSA candidates will prompt a growing concern about further anti-Jewish and anti-Israel activism.
American Jews find themselves today in a variety of political and ideological camps. 21% define themselves as Democratic Socialists, while 15% describe themselves as MAGA Republicans. The outcomes of this contest will contribute to a greater sense of Jewish political discomfort and uncertainty.
The writer, Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Studies at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, Los Angeles, is a fellow of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
(Times of Israel)
See also The Multiple Voices of the Jewish People - Steven Windmueller (Times of Israel-26June2025)
- After the U.S. Midterm Elections - Danny Zaken
Years ago, a Palestinian journalist argued to me that without America, Israel would have lost every war. I reminded him of the War of Independence and the Six-Day War, in which we won almost entirely on our own. It would be harder, I told him, but we would win every military campaign.
After the U.S. midterm elections, one pro-Israel stronghold remains, the White House, and it too will probably fall in the next election or the one after. Quite a few pro-Israel senators and House members remain. But what was once the lunatic fringe of Congress has become the mainstream.
The cause was a years-long, dollar-rich campaign, antisemitic in essence. It held that Israel is to blame for nearly every trouble Americans have, has no right to exist, and is a state of European colonialists that stole the land of the poor Palestinians.
President Trump's hasty declaration on Election Day about a full halt of aid to Israel only seemed to prove the claim that American aid does come at the expense of budgets meant for the American citizen. And try explaining to them that the $3.8 billion a year brought several times that amount into America every year, in jobs, arms sales, and joint developments.
Congress is expected to complicate the war effort in Iran. It will not truly be able to halt the moves, at least not for several months, but it will try, despite the complete contradiction to American interests and to those of every U.S.-friendly state in the region.
A new era is beginning. Israel will have to reach independent military capabilities sooner than expected and, at the same time, reposition itself diplomatically against a hostile Europe and a confused America.
(Israel Hayom)
- Will Congress Constrain Trump on Iran? - Erez Linn
After the U.S. midterm elections, will Trump be constrained on Iran and other foreign policy matters? Unlikely. Congress will never defund the military and has no real power to stop him from engaging in intermittent bombing in Iran. In fact, another campaign can be easily executed without congressional approval, because Trump won't ever call it a war and therefore he won't need to secure a declaration of war. (Israel Hayom)
- El-Sayed's Win Changes the Conversation on Israel - Ben Sales
Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan constantly accuses Israel of genocide and says U.S. tax dollars shouldn't be spent to "drop bombs on other people's kids" - a reference to U.S. military aid. He has disparaged the very idea of a Jewish state, and has said Israel is not a U.S. ally. In a recent interview, he scoffed at the idea of limiting a Palestinian state to the West Bank and Gaza, suggesting Palestinians should get parts, or all, of Israel proper.
When it comes to Israel, El-Sayed's win has shifted the Overton window - a term describing the range of acceptable political discourse. It suggests that it is now politically acceptable in the U.S. Senate to openly question whether Israel should even exist, and that it is politically acceptable to refuse to say whether Israel or Iran is more of a threat to the American people. (Times of Israel)
- Midterm Elections Normalize Anti-Zionism in U.S. Politics - Luke Tress
As Democrats won control of the Senate and the House of Representatives on Tuesday, incoming Rep. Darializa Avila Chevalier (D-NY) demanded "the Palestinian right of return" and led supporters in Spanish chants of "Babies, not bombs," while wearing a keffiyeh. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), announcing its winners, repeatedly trumpeted its goal of a "Free Palestine." Anti-Zionism isn't going anywhere.
After President Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. would soon end military aid to Israel, anti-Israel politicians did not stop to celebrate, but demanded an arms embargo. The goalposts had already moved downfield.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said, "We're going to change the policy when we take back Congress. Zero aid to Israel and no more military sales."
There were no indications that these lawmakers were merely opposed to the Netanyahu government. The new crop of lawmakers are not just "critical of Israel" - anti-Israel activism is central to their politics.
Opposition to or ambivalence about Israel's existence has become normalized. The DSA platform enshrines its commitment to the "right of return" and the Palestinian "right to resist." Its call for a "Free Palestine" is not a demand for a two-state solution.
The moderates, led by House Democratic leader Jeffries and Senate Democratic leader Schumer, will far outnumber the hard left. The Democrats' comfortable majority in the House and Senate means that the moderate leaders have a cushion against dissenters, diluting their leverage. Until now, the DSA had only two members in Congress. Tuesday's vote secured seats for at least five more. (Times of Israel)
- Military Aid to Israel Has Become an Issue in U.S. Midterm Elections - Amb. Michael Oren
Former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren said in an interview: "Military aid to Israel has become a central issue, at least in Democratic campaigns....We need to prepare for the possibility of an end to such aid."
Oren emphasized Israel's strategic importance to the U.S., arguing that reducing its military capabilities would ultimately undermine American interests. "There is no strategic logic in this position. The United States has one ally that is willing to fight shoulder to shoulder with it. There is one country that significantly enhances America's security capabilities through its technology, and it is located in the most sensitive place in the world. Who would want to reduce that country's ability to help the Americans and contribute to U.S. security?"
(103FM-Jerusalem Post)
Hizbullah
- Hizbullah Today Is Run by Iran - Michael Young
Last week, Hizbullah Secretary General Naim Qassem declared that Iran placed "ending Israeli aggression in Lebanon at the forefront of its priorities." His remarks underlined how Hizbullah is operating on a different plane than the Lebanese authorities, who negotiated a framework agreement with Israel last June.
Hizbullah today effectively appears to be run by Tehran. Since the group's political and military cadre were devastated by Israel in 2024, and Qassem took over from the assassinated Hassan Nasrallah, all the signs are that the group has been led directly by members of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Since March 2, when Hizbullah entered the war, it has suffered significant setbacks. The Israelis have occupied a large area in southern Lebanon up to the Litani River, and in some places beyond it, before systematically razing all Shiite-majority villages in that area. In light of this, Hizbullah is facing rising, if understated, anger from within its Shiite community for the calamity that has befallen it.
Iran is wagering that countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but also Egypt and Jordan, seek to counterbalance Israeli dominance in the region. Amid the probable military disengagement of the U.S. from the Middle East, a classic balance of power game is taking shape, whereby countries are seeking to prevent the emergence of a regional hegemon, such as Israel. The Turks regard Hizbullah as a counterweight to Israel in Lebanon, and have allegedly allowed Iranian funds to reach Hizbullah through Turkey.
Iran's and Hizbullah's strategy is to stay the course in Lebanon, refuse to surrender Hizbullah's weapons to the Lebanese state and organize resistance operations against Israel. However, is reviving Hizbullah's resistance feasible? The nature of war has changed since the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon in May 2000.
Today, the Israelis have a panoply of remote means - drones, use of AI for intelligence gathering and armed robots - to control Lebanon, which does not require a heavy deployment of ground forces. Moreover, the Israelis have escalation dominance, which can include bombing Beirut, to impose its will on Lebanon, whereas Hizbullah's ability to similarly escalate appears more limited. (The National-UAE)
Israel and the Arab World
- Jordan Wants Israel's Help, but at What Price? - Oded Ailam
Israel is expected to serve simultaneously as the Jordanian Kingdom's insurance company, its water supplier, and its punching bag. When dependence on cooperation with us exists alongside rhetoric portraying us as a regional threat, Israel is entitled to ask questions.
In 1958, Israel allowed British aircraft carrying troops to Jordan to pass through its airspace as part of efforts to help protect King Hussein's regime. In September 1970, Israeli deterrent moves and intelligence shared with the Jordanians helped confront a Syrian invasion. In addition, there have been a number of unpublicized incidents in which Israeli intelligence prevented attempts to assassinate the king.
Israel continues to supply Jordan with 50 million cubic meters of water annually under the peace arrangements. In 2021, an agreement was added for the sale of another 50 million cubic meters, doubling the total. The additional arrangement expired at the end of 2025 and was not renewed. Haifa and Ashdod ports serve as gateways for cargo moving to and from Jordan, with the Jordan River crossing handling 140 trucks a day.
Israel should adopt the transactional model: something in return for something. Israel should honor the peace treaty and preserve security cooperation that also serves its own interests. But expanded water supplies, new benefits, and additional trade facilitation should become part of negotiations centered on proper diplomatic relations, combating incitement, and preventing smuggling along the shared border. A cold peace does not entitle anyone to unlimited credit.
The writer, former head of the Counterterrorism Division in the Mossad, is a researcher at the Jerusalem Center. (Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs)
- Why Won't Arab Countries, Who Have Taken in Thousands of Refugees from Iraq and Syria, Accept Palestinians from Gaza? - Mohammed Said
While Morocco and Israel deepened their relationship after signing the Abraham Accords in 2020, some neighboring countries viewed this as a destabilizing fracture in the region's "solidarity" with the Palestinian cause. Yet, some of these countries are also those actively seeking to get closer to that dazzling American ally by purchasing advanced weapons and other Israeli inventions.
One of the leaders in the region strong enough to break free of this adolescent mentality was Morocco's farsighted leader, King Mohammed VI. In his Oct. 9, 2026, address to Parliament, he rooted national pride in a "sense of belonging to this nation" rather than basically non-existent pan-Arab conformity.
Regarding their beloved Palestinian "brothers," not one Arab or Muslim country - most of which had gladly taken in thousands of refugees from Iraq, Syria and other conflicts - would accept a Palestinian from Gaza. They were right. Everywhere Palestinians have been welcomed, all that followed was trouble: in Tunisia, Jordan, Kuwait and Lebanon. Israel is just the last country in a very long list. (Gatestone Institute)
Observations:
- On Tuesday, President Trump announced that the U.S. would stop providing nearly $4 billion in annual military aid to Israel by the end of 2026. President Trump just did Israel an enormous favor with an important step toward completing the promise of Israeli independence. For nearly 80 years, the Jewish state has been building toward a moment when it could finally say something that Jews, for most of their history, were rarely in a position to say to anyone: Thank you. We can take care of ourselves.
- The foreign military financing is overwhelmingly directed toward purchasing American-made military equipment. It supports American manufacturers, American workers, American military production, and American technological capabilities. Yet, Israel finds itself portrayed as a helpless foreign dependent draining the American treasury. That perception is not only misleading. It has become strategically and politically damaging.
- Israelis should be asking: What exactly are we sacrificing in exchange for that money?
A country that has developed some of the most sophisticated military technology on Earth has been operating under a system that increasingly directs its military purchasing power toward foreign manufacturers rather than its own.
Military assistance gives Washington considerable leverage over Israeli decision-making that may involve a delayed shipment, a threatened restriction, or a disagreement over how Israel conducts a military operation.
- There is an enormous difference between listening to a friend and being dependent on that friend's approval. A country responsible for the survival of its own people cannot afford to confuse the two. The lesson of Jewish history is that a people who cannot ultimately provide for their own security are always vulnerable to the decisions of others.
- Ending military aid should not be confused with abandoning the American-Israeli alliance. The U.S.
has compelling reasons to maintain that alliance. Israel provides intelligence, technological innovation, military expertise, and a capable regional partner in one of the most strategically important parts of the world. Replacing military assistance with a more conventional commercial and strategic partnership could make the relationship healthier.
- America has been an extraordinary friend to Israel, and American military support has contributed meaningfully to Israel's security. Gratitude, however, is not the same as permanent dependence. The greatest compliment Israel can pay the U.S. is to demonstrate that decades of partnership helped create a country strong enough to stand increasingly on its own.
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