America's Security Stake in Israel


 

Publication Date: July 1986

Publisher: Heritage Foundation (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): James A. Phillips

Research Area: Government

Keywords: Middle East

Type: Report

Coverage: Israel

Abstract:

Israeli-American strategic cooperation is not a panacea that will blunt all Soviet threats in the Middle East, but without it, the world will be a more dangerous place. Such cooperation deters the aggressive action of Moscow and its regional clients, encourages Arab states to opt for a negotiated settlement rather than military action in the Arab-Israeli conflict, and strengthens NATO's southern flank. Israel has much to offer the U.S. in terms of military intelligence, technical innovation, access to air bases and naval facilities, and a pre-positioning site for fuel, medicine, amunition, and weapons. Washington should work closely yet discreetly with Israel in order to transcend the zero-sum nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict.