By Yoram Ettinger, ISRAEL HAYOM
In 1948, U.S.-Israel relations were a classic case of a one-way-street: the U.S. gave and Israel received, economically and militarily.
In 1952, the U.S. administration rejected a proposal by General Omar Bradley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to elevate Israel to a role of a major ally, just like Iran and Turkey.
In 2013, notwithstanding Iranian President Hasan Rouhani’s rhetoric, Iran is the fiercest enemy of the U.S.. Erdogan’s Turkey follows a Muslim Brotherhood, rather than a NATO-oriented policy. Egypt is an increasingly unstable, unpredictable and anti-U.S. country. And, the long-term stability, reliability and capabilities of Saudi Arabia – as an ally of the U.S. – have been severely eroded by the ongoing Arab Tsunami.
In 2013, the combusting Arab street highlights Israel as the only stable, reliable, predictable, capable, democratic and unconditional Middle Eastern ally of the U.S.
In 2013, Israel is the only ally of the U.S. that is able and willing to extend the shortened strategic hand of the U.S., while the threats to the U.S. are mounting and Russian and Chinese penetration of the Middle East is intensifying.
In 2013, U.S.-Israel relations constitute a classic case of a two-way street, win-win, mutually beneficial ties, with Israel increasingly contributing to vital U.S. economic and defense interests; expanding U.S. employment, research and development and export base; serving as the most battle-tested laboratory of U.S. defense industries; enhancing U.S. counterterrorism and intelligence-gathering capabilities; and upgrading U.S. battle tactic and homeland security.
For example, some 300 U.S. high tech giants operate in Israel – a pipeline of commercial, defense and homeland security technologies to the U.S. – leveraging Israel’s brain power and enhancing their global competitiveness. Fifty-five percent of Hewlett Packard’s recent software developments originated in its seven research and development centers in Israel. In August, 2013, IBM acquired its 13th Israeli company and its research and development centers in Israel registered 463 patents during 2006-2010, followed by SandDisk – 394, Intel – 321, Microsoft, HP, Apple, General Electric, etc. Most of Intel’s laptop microprocessors, and many of Google’s applications, originated in Israel. Marvell’s largest design center outside the U.S. is in Israel.
Israel serves as the most battle-tested laboratory for the U.S. defense industry, employing hundreds of U.S. military systems (such as the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter planes), sharing with U.S. manufacturers lessons learned during battle, facilitating thousands of modifications and upgrades, thus dramatically enhancing the U.S. global competitive edge, expanding U.S. research and development, employment and exports, yielding a mega-billion dollar bonanza to the U.S. defense industry, while advancing the national security of Israel and the U.S..
Israel’s battle tactics against Palestinian terrorism are at the core of counterterrorism training at Fort Leavenworth, the intellectual center of the U.S. Army. U.S. Marines and Special Operations units are trained in Israel on their way to Afghanistan. They benefit from Israel’s unique experience in urban warfare and in tackling suicide bombers, car bombs and improvised explosive devices. U.S. bomb squads travel to Israel, improving …read more
Source: Israpundit
