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Conditioning U.S. Aid to Israel Would Make Everyone Less Safe
(National Interest) Lt.-Gen. (ret.) William J. Bender - Placing more conditions on U.S. aid to Israel would strain America's most critical security relationship in the Middle East and be harmful to Palestinians and Israelis alike. As the U.S. retrenches from the Middle East, its aid to a capable partner like Israel will only become more important, promoting regional security and stability without deploying more American troops. Equipment purchased through American aid is likely to help defend the Palestinians. Missile defense funding has helped Israel protect the skies over the West Bank and Israel. U.S. military financing has also enabled Israel to purchase the F-35 fighter aircraft, which it has used in Syria to stop Iran from proliferating advanced weaponry. More than any other ally, Israeli operations against Iran have rolled back Iranian military expansion. The route to stability in the Middle East lies with more U.S.-Israel cooperation, not less. The writer, a command pilot, is a former Air Force chief information officer.