U.S.-Israel Relations

A continent-sized superpower with hundreds of millions of citizens steeped in Christian tradition. A speck on a map half a world away with 8 million people, mostly Jews. They make for an unlikely friendship. Yet the U.S. and Israel are as close as any two countries. Advocates of the relationship see two societies built by immigrants immersed in democratic principles and refreshing informality. Skeptics see a lion held hostage by a mouse. U.S. patronage has clearly benefited Israel, where the relationship has long been viewed as sacrosanct. In the U.S., Israel is popular but there is disagreement over whether the closeness advances U.S. strategic goals.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has established a better connection with President Donald Trump than he had with his predecessor, Barack Obama. The strained relationship between Netanyahu and Obama reached a low point in December, when the U.S. broke from its usual practice of blocking United Nations resolutions criticizing Israel. Under Obama, U.S. officials were unusually harsh in their criticism of Israeli settlement in the West Bank, which the Palestinians hope to make the heart of an independent state. An earlier flashpoint came in 2015, when Netanyahu encouraged the U.S. Congress to kill a deal the U.S. and other world powers eventually signed with Iran over its nuclear program. Trump shares Netanyahu’s criticism of the nuclear deal with Iran. And breaking with decades of U.S. policy, his administration does not view Israeli settlements as an obstacle to peace, though it has said new construction “may not be helpful.” Trump’s hope of brokering Mideast peace has some Israeli officials concerned that they’ll be pushed to make difficult concessions. Even under Obama, U.S. support for Israel grew steadily. In 2016, the U.S. agreed to provide a record $38 billion in military aid over ten years. The U.S. shares intelligence with Israel and conducts military exercises with its forces.