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U.S. Unlikely to Stop Military Aid to Israel - because It Benefits from It
(The Conversation) Dov Waxman interviewed by Amy Lieberman - As vice president and before that as a senator, Kamala Harris has consistently supported providing U.S. military aid to Israel. This position is typical of most Democratic Party members, as well as most Republicans. The U.S. has its own economic and strategic reasons for supplying that military aid. It is a U.S. national interest, not simply a favor for Israel, and that's why there is broad, bipartisan support for continuing this military aid. When the U.S. gives military aid to Israel, the Israeli government is not putting that money in its pocket. The vast majority of the money that the U.S. allocates to Israel each year must be spent on American weapons. Those weapons are produced in factories across the U.S. So, many American lawmakers have an interest in sustaining that aid because that money ends up flowing into their own states and providing local jobs. How does U.S. aid to Israel serve America's national interests? A militarily strong Israel helps the U.S. counter their common enemies. During the Cold War, Israel helped contain the spread of Soviet influence in the Middle East. Israel's strategic value to the U.S. rose again following the 9/11 terrorist attacks because of Israel's long experience in counterterrorism and its vaunted intelligence-gathering capabilities. More recently, Israel has worked with the U.S. to counter the expansion of Iranian influence in the region and to slow down Iran's nuclear program. They both regard Iran's growing power in the region as the greatest threat to regional stability, and they both want to stop Iran from having nuclear weapons. From the U.S. perspective, Israel can help the U.S. achieve its strategic goals in the region without the American military actually having to put boots on the ground. Israel is also perceived as a more reliable ally than the U.S.'s other major allies in the region. The writer is Professor of Israel Studies at UCLA.