Hubert Odias, Freelance Writer.

The United States and Israel intertwine every aspect of their relations in trade, economy, scientific and military research, which results in both countries tremendously benefiting from their expertise and creativity.

The United States was the first nation to recognize the new state of Israel in 1948. Then, their bilateral relations grew and became powerfully important. It’s a give-and-take relationship in which the United States provides billions of dollars in foreign military assistance to Israel, which reciprocates with the resources and skills of its most advanced technology and intelligence services. 

Both countries are thousands of miles away and dissimilar in land size, military, and economic world standing, but the parity in their relations is apparent.  Israel, so to speak, can be considered a piece of America slid into the Middle East or the abstract 51st state in the union. It is so true that then-Senator Joseph Biden said, “If Israel didn’t exist, we would have to invent one.”

So, let’s explore how the United States and Israel complement each other. First, Israel has engineered vital Cisco, Intel, Motorola, Applied Materials, and HP components. It’s important to note that Israel is the 23rd largest US trading partner; the United States represents Israel’s largest trading partner, with a yearly total of 50 billion dollars.

Israel creates jobs in the United States.  Israelis own and operate 650 technology companies in the United States, making it a niche sector of the broader American economy. Let’s explore The Massachusetts Example.  In 2023, a study showed that Israeli-owned businesses generated about 9000 jobs in Massachusetts alone while indirectly supporting 18000 other jobs.  Those jobs represent four percent of the state GDP. In short, Israel’s recent investment in the United States amounts to 24 billion dollars in 2023. 

During the Cold War, Israel made a powerful representation of the United States in West Asia. Through wars with Arab neighbors that The Soviet Union supported, it was Israel who sniffed vital information from its enemy, fought against the rival superpower, and obtained the opposing technology for the United States.

Israel supports the United States in crucial aspects of its military aviation system. It tests and improves American army hardware, such as the F-35 airplane, against potential adversaries, .

In return, the United States reciprocates Israel in a big way. According to the US Chamber of Commerce, 2500 US firms based in Israel employ 72000 Israelis and indirectly support thousands of other jobs. Also, as part of the Start-Up story, US firms make up two thirds of Israel’s more than 300 foreign-invested research and development centers.

In addition to financial and military support, the United States provides strong political support, using its veto power 42 times in the United Nations against resolutions denouncing Israel’s wrongdoings.

Also, the US Army tested the Iron Dome system for possible mass production after repeatedly seeing its efficiency.

As of 2021, the United States remains the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to have recognized the Golan Heights as a non-occupied Israeli sovereign territory, recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and moved its embassy there from Tel Aviv in 2018. Israel is the only country other than Egypt that the United States has designated as a major non-NATO ally.

Besides each country’s contribution to the other, they also join forces in various research and development foundations: The Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), the Binational Science Foundation (BSF), and the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Foundation (BARD). Those foundations have granted millions of dollars in hundreds of projects and generated billions in sales.

The United States and Israel form a partnerdhip in several areas of cooperation where they participate in military exercises, research, and weapons development.  They also team up in a high level of commercial and economic exchanges that include biotech, sciences, health care solutions, energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, defense industries, cyber-security, and aviation, to name just a few. In 1985, both countries entered a trade agreement that increased tenfold to 49 billion US dollars in 2016.

At this point, it’s pretty evident what makes the US-Israeli relations unique. A combination of mutual ingenuity, creativity, and expertise produces that level of innovation and success. However, what makes their accomplishments significant is when the United States treats other countries the way it does Israel and when Israel, in turn, dismantles the Apartheid system and establishes a free Palestinian state.

Sources: Wikipedia and Fact Sheet USA.