Anecdote of US-Israel Relationship: A Historic Perspective

Previously, during the Trump era in the United States, the Israeli Prime Minister would often heap praise on Trump, describing him in 2020 as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House.” However, in 2023, the relationship between the two countries changed due to the eruption of the Gaza War. This is to say, on October 7, 2023, Biden became the first US President to visit Israel during wartime soon after the initiation of the Gaza war. In addition to that, he provided two aircraft carriers to the region and launched an airlift to provide Israel with all the weaponry it needed to defeat Hamas. Furthermore, Israel on May 6, 2024, began a military offensive in Rafah despite Biden warning Netanyahu over Rafah’s invasion. Moreover, Americans criticized Israel’s war-fighting conduct after the Israeli strike killed seven World Central Kitchen Relief workers on April 2, 2024.

On May 17, 2024, the Times of Israel published an article titled, ‘Some Big Decisions: What It Will Take to Repair Israel-US Ties’ written by David Makovsky. This article depicts how the United States and Israel’s relationship has soared in recent months. Now, the US, after Israel invades Gaza, is more focused on determining whether Israel is committed to peace through political strategy. Historically, the US-Israel relationship has had its ebbs and tides. But how exactly did the US-Israel relationship begin? This article shall take a gander at the historical evolution of the US-Israel relationship and briefly touch on the current situation.

US-Israel Relationship: The History

It was March 1948; Hary Truman was the President of the US. One morning, he had a guest an old friend Eddie Jacobson an American Jewish businessman. Now, Jacobson had a favor to ask, he wanted Truman to meet Chaim Weizmann he was the top leader of the World Zionist Organization and also the future President of Israel. At first, Truman was not pleased he was a known anti-Semite. Moreover, his letters to his wife were filled with anti-Jewish bias, but that morning Truman relented. Truman agreed to meet Weizmann and promised US support to Israel.

In May 1948, the state of Israel was declared and 11 minutes later Truman signed a press release. He was the first world leader to recognize the new Jewish state.

His diplomat could not believe it. However, in 1948 it’s how things played out. Now, it’s been 75 years since the US and Israel became special allies furthermore many biographers credited Eddie Jacobson for Truman’s decision. Now, let’s delve into how the US and Israel became best buddies.

Partnership During the Cold War Era

The year of 1950s made one thing clear: West Asia would be affected by the Cold War.

Arab Nationalism was on the rise but the US perplexed it with communism. Therefore, US Presidents of that time hunted for allies to contain the Soviet influence in the region. For that purpose, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iran were the top choices, although Iran was not on board. In 1953, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) plotted a coup and installed the Pro-Western Shah of Iran. So, the point to brood over is: where was Israel at that time? Perhaps, not really on America’s radar and sometimes on the opposite side.

Also See: Iran-Israel Dynamics: The Middle East Mayhem

For instance, in 1956 British, Israel and France hatched a plan to target Egypt’s Suez Canal. At that time, Egypt’s President was Gamal Abdel Naseer, the most celebrated Arab leader. So basically, in 1956 he nationalized Suez Canal. The British were appalled by this decision, therefore they plotted with Israel and France. They planned to occupy the Suez Canal and topple Gamal Abdel Nasser. However, the US disapproved of this. When the fighting began, President Eisenhower of the US put his foot down and refused to support the invasion, which is why the plan failed. Later, John F Kennedy also put pressure on Israel. By 1967, Arab countries waged war against Israel, and in six days, Israel routed the Arab army. It was a comprehensive victory that made Israel noticeable among Americans.

At that time, America was stranded in Vietnam, while Israel beat back the Arabs, and that too without any Western support. The fact that Israel easily beat the Arabs in six days without any military support from the United States is crucial in the 1967 War. According to Stanford University Middle East History Professor Joel Beinin, “That conveyed to the US that these men are competent. Vietnam is a shambles right now. Join me in connecting with them”.

Over time, things changed gradually. So, Washington was thoroughly impressed, speculating Israel as a strong military to protect their interest in West Asia. The positive aspects of Israel included no split leadership, no clan rivalries, no kings, and a democracy like the US, and from that point onwards, there was no looking back.

Later, in 1973 Arab neighbors attacked Israel, wherein the US was much more proactive; they sent fighter jets and ammunition. Thus, now the relationship reached a checkmate: America armed Israel, and in return, Israel protected American interests.

After 1979, the US-Israel relationship became even more important due to the revolution in Iran that year. The Pro-Western Shah was toppled so, one US ally was gone. On the contrary, Ayatollah rose to power as a leader who made America a public enemy number one so, the US needed Israel even more. In that epoch, none of Israel’s neighbors recognized it, so the US worked on fixing the problem. In the mid-1970s, it was Henry Kissinger’s job to negotiate with Syria and Egypt to end the 1973 war. This continued until the next administration under Jimmy Carter. In 1978, he hosted a historic meeting. The venue was the presidential retreat at Camp David. It took thirteen days to thrash out an agreement known as the Camp David Accords.

According to the agreement: Firstly, Palestine would have self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza. Secondly, Egypt and Israel would sign the peace deal. Thirdly, the other Arab neighbors would follow the same template. The following year, a peace deal was signed, and Egypt recognized Israel. This step angered other Arab countries, and Egypt was expelled from the Arab League. The next President, Ronald Reagan, focused on the military aspect of the US-Israel relationship. In 1981, he signed an agreement for strategic cooperation. America began giving $1.8 billion to Israel every year, hoping for restraint in return. However, in 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon, and Arab countries accused the US of complicity. On the other hand, the US officially denied it and criticized Israel. In 1983, extremists attacked US Marines in Beirut. Subsequently, Reagan signed another agreement with Israel to develop fighter jets together. In 1987, they signed another deal, this time declaring Israel a non-NATO ally. As a result, Israel’s weapon industry grew massively. In 1982, they sold weapons worth $9 million to the US; however, in 1988, weapons sold were worth $240 million, reflecting rapid growth.

If the 1980s were about arms, the 1990s were again about peace. The first Intifada was underway, signaling that the question of Palestine could not be ignored.

Post-Cold-War Situation

In 1991, with the end of the Cold War, the US began pressuring Israel for peace deals. Nonetheless, Israel was reluctant to make concessions. Subsequently, in Oslo, representatives from Israel and Palestine held secret talks and agreed on a two-state solution. In 1993, the agreement was formalized during a White House ceremony hosted by US President Bill Clinton. Israel was represented by PM Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine by Yasser Arafat; the two men shook hands and signed the agreement. In 1994, Jordan recognized Israel, becoming the second Arab country to do so. However, an extremist assassinated PM Rabin.

In the 21st century, the US and Israel have grown closer for several reasons, such as the 9/11 attacks. Despite being a US ally, Saudi Arabia was unable to prevent the attacks. Additionally, with Iran pursuing nuclear capabilities, the US needed a robust and stable ally. Once again, Israel was the best choice. However, the relationship has never been perfect. For instance, in the early 2010s, President Obama and PM Benjamin Netanyahu had a strained relationship. Obama signed a nuclear deal with Iran, which Netanyahu opposed in the US Congress. Despite these tensions, support for Israel remained strong; the US used its veto power more than 50 times in favor of Israel, even during Obama’s presidency. Then came President Donald Trump, arguably Israel’s best friend in the US. He recognized Israel’s control over the Golan Heights and shifted the US embassy to Jerusalem. Moreover, the Abraham Accords were signed under the Trump administration.

Most recently, after the outbreak of the Gaza war, Joe Biden has reiterated US support for Israel. The US has faced global opposition due to the killing of Palestinians; however, it continues to support Israel. Despite this, American concerns remain about the Arab-Israeli rivalry. The US has invested billions in this relationship, but like any investor, it seeks maximum returns. For that, Israel must be at peace with Arab countries. Furthermore, backing Israel has historically enjoyed great political popularity in the US, bolstered by a robust pro-Israel lobby in Washington. But in recent years, popular support has significantly decreased, especially among Democrats, who, for the first time, marginally favored Palestinians over Israelis in a March 2023 Gallup poll. On the other hand, Biden has stated that a major attack on Rafah would be a “red line,” so Israel is developing its offensive in Gaza cautiously. In the meantime, the US continues to send weapons to Israel. According to EL PAÍS (US Edition), National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated, “They’re still getting the vast, vast majority of everything that they need to defend themselves.” Moreover, the US continues to back Israel in every measure. Still, it remains clear that if Israel’s conduct crosses Washington’s red line, it will result in severe consequences for the future of the US-Israel relationship. Nevertheless, the odds are that Biden’s administration will maintain its support for Israel.

From 1948 to 2024, the US-Israel relationship has endured various conflicts and controversies. However, as of now, the special relationship between the two nations is as strong as ever.

Netanyahu Again Claims US is Withholding Arms Shipments After US Denies It

On June 23, 2024, Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told his Cabinet that there had been a “dramatic drop” in the US weapons deliveries for Israel’s war effort in Gaza. Netanyahu told his Cabinet that the drop had occurred four months ago, without specifying which weapons. Moreover, saying only that “certain items arrived sporadically but the munitions at large remained behind.” These statements depict how the Gaza war has affected US and Israel relationship. However, Netanyahu is preparing to address the US Congress on July 24, 2024. Netanyahu’s appearance before an increasingly divided Congress is sure to be controversial.  This will also be met with plenty of protests both inside the Capitol from lawmakers and outside by pro-Palestinian protesters.

It is now evident that the war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas’ October 7, 2024 attack on southern Israel, has tested the US-Israel relationship like never before. Whereas the U.S. has unwaveringly supported Israel’s aims of defeating the Hamas and Gaza war, it has grown increasingly concerned over the humanitarian crisis created by the war. It manifests polarization of American opinion regarding war. During an election year, Biden is also facing critics on the right who say he has moderated his support for an essential Mideast ally. Now it’s time to evaluate how the US-Israel relationship emerges.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of the South Asia Times.

Mishaal Malik

Mishaal Malik, presently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in International Relations at Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), serves as a Research Associate at South Asia Times (SAT). Mishaal demonstrates a commitment to scholarly inquiry, particularly focusing on research related to South Asia and East Asia. She can be reached on X, formerly Twitter at @MishaalMalik502.

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