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U.S. and Israel Must Continue to Cooperate on Security and Intelligence
(Politico) David Makovsky - The U.S. and Israel simply do not have the luxury of continued rancor, no matter what happens to the Iran deal. Whether it is a question of monitoring Iran, holding it to account or managing Islamist chaos throughout the region, the two countries are compelled to cooperate in security and intelligence matters. Even absent a deal with Iran, Israel's strategic environment has changed. If, in the past, Israel was surrounded by states, now it is surrounded by non-state actors like Hizbullah in Lebanon, Jubhat al-Nusrah in Syria, Hamas in Gaza and ISIS-affiliate Ansar Beit Makdas in the Egyptian Sinai Desert. This alone requires more U.S.-Israel security coordination. The writer is director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy Project on the Middle East Peace Process.