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US Interests, Energy Independence and Israel

The most critical, clear and present dangers to US’ national security, homeland security and economy, are Iran’s nuclearization, Islamic terrorism, the explosive impact of the seismic Arab Street, the potential disruption of the supply and price of imported-oil and the declining US posture of deterrence. 

The most clear and present policy to alleviate these threats would  be US energy independence, ending dependence on unpredictable Arab oil producers, bolstering the US posture of deterrence, accelerating economic growth, improving the trade balance, reducing the budget deficit, lowering energy cost, expanding employment and availing more funds toward infrastructures, education, the elderly, Medicare and human services in general .  

As demonstrated by the stormy, seismic Arab Winter, and irrespective of the Palestinian issue, the Arab Street is increasingly anti-US, Islamist-oriented, violently intolerant, unpredictable, unstable and terror-dominated.

The US mainland and vital US interests abroad are targeted by Muslim regimes and organizations. They adhere to a 14 century old trans-national, imperialistic ideology, believing that they are divinely-ordained to rule the globe. They are energized by their assessment that Europe is caving-in, while the “Great Satan” US is increasingly vulnerable.

Iran is systematically defying the US.  A nuclear Iran would trigger a meltdown of the pro-US Arab oil-producing regimes; traumatizing the supply and price of oil, devastating the US economy; emboldening Islamic terrorist sleeper cells; intensifying the anti-US policy of Venezuela; accelerating nuclear proliferation in the Middle East and beyond; further eroding global sanity and undermining vital US interests.

A tour d’horizon of the Middle East reveals that Iraq has become a central theater of anti-US Islamic terrorism, increasingly controlled by Iran. Yemen is afflicted by a 14 century-old intra-tribal civil war, posing a threat to the House of Saud, Oman and oil tankers passing through the straits of Ban el-Mandeb and Hormuz. The Syrian lava – boiled by intra-Arab and intra-Muslim wars by proxies – threatens to sweep through Lebanon, Jordan and possibly the Persian Gulf.  Jordan’s pro-US Hashemite regime is facing lethal threats from Syria, Iraq, disgruntled Bedouins, Hamas terrorists, the Palestinian majority and the Muslim Brotherhood. Post-Mubarak Egypt improves ties with Iran and provides a tailwind to Muslim Brotherhood cells throughout the Arab World, advancing its trans-national, expansionist anti-US agenda. Libya and Tunisia undergo a rapid process of Islamization; and Morocco and Algeria face a major challenge by Islamic oppositions.  Since 2002, Turkey has veered toward the Muslim World away from the US.  The current upheaval on the Arab Street highlights the Middle East as a region of unpredictable geo-political shocks.

US energy independence would be a game-changer in the international arena, constituting an effective shock-absorber for the US and its allies. It would minimize US dependence on foreign markets and multilateral/international entities, enhancing the independence of US unilateral national security actions.

US national security and economic interests are also bolstered by Israel, which has adopted the independent oil producers’ state of mind: defiance of the jagged cutting edge of nature, a can-do mentality, independent action and out-of-the-box-thinking.

In 2013, Israel constitutes the only stable, predictable, capable, democratic and unconditional US ally, upgrading the shock-absorbing capabilities of the US, reducing regional instability, serving as a critical line of defense for Jordan and other US allies.   Israel is a unique source of intelligence, battle and counter-terrorism tactics. For example, the US receives from Israel more intelligence received from all NATO countries combined.  Moreover, US special operation forces benefit from Israel’s experience in facing improvised-explosive-devices, suicide bombers and car-bombs. US pilots employ Israeli Air Force tactics to evade Russian-made surface-to-air missiles. US homeland security officials, first responders and police chiefs systematically receive Israel’s lessons for combating Arab terrorism and tracking terrorists.

Israel has become a unique pipeline of cutting-edge technologies for the US defense and commercial industries.  For instance, the F-16, F-15 and hundreds of additional US military systems, employed by Israel, are systematically upgraded through lessons learned by the Israeli battle-tested “laboratory.” These lessons are shared on-line, in real-time with the US manufacturers, providing the US with a mega-billion dollar global competitive edge, expanding US exports, employment, research and development.  A similar process has benefitted some 300 US high-tech giants, who established research and development centers in Israel, leveraging Israel’s innovative technologies, establishing production lines, creating more jobs and exports in the US.

Israel’s unique capabilities extend the US’ strategic arm at a time of US withdrawal and defense cuts. According to the late General Alexander Haig, “Israel is the largest US aircraft carrier which does not require even one US soldier, cannot be sunk, deployed in a most critical area for US interests.  If there would not be an Israel, the US would have to deploy a few real additional aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean, which would cost the US taxpayer about $15BN annually.”

In the battle against Iran’s nuclearization, Islamic terrorism and threats to the supply and price of imported oil, US interests would be well-served by energy independence and by enhanced US-Israel mutually-beneficial, win-win defense and commercial cooperation.




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Open letter to Prime Minister Bennett ahead of visit to USA

(Hebrew edition in “Israel Hayom,” Israel’s largest circulation daily)

During your first official visit to Washington, DC, you’ll have to choose between two options:

*Blurring your deeply-rooted, assertive Israeli positions on the future of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), which would be welcome by the Biden Administration, yielding to short-term political convenience and popularity inside the beltway;

or

*Tenaciously advocating your deeply-rooted, principle-driven positions, which would underscore a profound disagreement with the Biden Administration and the “elite” US media, while granting you and Israel long-term strategic respect, as demonstrated by some of your predecessors.

For example, the late Prime Minister Shamir honed the second option, bluntly introduced his assertive Israeli positions on Judea and Samaria, rebuffed heavy US pressure – including a mudslinging campaign by President Bush and Secretary of State Baker – suffered a popularity setback, but produced unprecedented expansion of US-Israel strategic cooperation. When it comes to facing the intensified threats of rogue regimes and Islamic terrorism, the US prefers principle-driven, reliable, patriotic, pressure-defying partners, irrespective of disagreements on the Palestinian issue.

Assuming that you shall not budge on the historical and national security centrality of Judea and Samaria, it behooves you to highlight the following matters during your meetings with President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Austin and Congressional leaders (especially the members of the Appropriations Committees):

  1. The 1,400-year-old track record of the stormy, unpredictable, violent and anti-“infidel” Middle East, which has yet to experience intra-Arab peaceful-coexistence, along with the 100-year-old Palestinian track record (including the systematic collaboration with anti-US entities, hate-education and anti-Arab and anti-Jewish terrorism) demonstrates that the proposed Palestinian state would be a Mini-Afghanistan or a Mega-Gaza on the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria.

It would dominate 80% of Israel’s population and infrastructures in the 9-15-mile sliver between Judea and Samaria and the Mediterranean, which is shorter than the distance between RFK Stadium and the Kennedy Center.

Thus, a Palestinian state would pose a clear and present existential threat to Israel; and therefore, Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria is a prerequisite for its survival.

  1. The proposed Palestinian state would undermine US interests, as concluded from the Palestinian intra-Arab track record, which has transformed the Palestinians into a role-model of intra-Arab subversion, terrorism and ingratitude. Arabs are aware that a Palestinian state would add fuel to the Middle East fire, teaming up with their enemies (e.g., Iran’s Ayatollahs, the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s Erdogan) and providing a strategic foothold to Russia and China. Consequently, Arabs shower Palestinians with favorable talk, but with cold and negative walk.

Hence, during the October, 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty ceremony, Jordan’s military leaders asserted to their Israeli colleagues that a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River would doom the pro-US Hashemite regime east of the River, and lead, subsequently, to the toppling of all pro-US Arab Peninsula regimes.

  1. There is no foundation for the contention that Israel’s retreat from the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria – which are the cradle of Jewish history, religion and culture – is required in order to sustain Israel’s Jewish majority. In reality, there is unprecedented Jewish demographic momentum, while Arab demography – throughout the Middle East – has Westernized dramatically. The Jewish majority in the combined area of Judea, Samaria and pre-1967 Israel benefits from a robust tailwind of fertility and migration.
  2. Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, bolsters its posture of deterrence, which has daunted rogue regimes, reduced regional instability, enhanced the national security of all pro-US Arab regimes, and has advanced Israel’s role as a unique force-multiplier for the US. An Israeli retreat from Judea and Samaria would transform Israel from a strategic asset – to a strategic liability – for the US.
  3. As the US reduces its military presence in the Middle East – which is a global epicenter of oil production, global trade (Asia-Africa), international Islamic terrorism and proliferation of non-conventional military technologies – Israel’s posture of deterrence becomes increasingly critical for the pro-US Arab countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan), who consider Israel to be the most reliable “life insurance agent” in the region.

Contrary to NATO, South Korea and Japan, Israel’s defense does not require the presence of US troops on its soil.

  1. Sustaining Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge is a mutual interest for the US and Israel, which serves as the most cost-effective battle-tested laboratory for the US defense industries and armed forces. Thus, Israel’s use of hundreds of US military systems has yielded thousands of lessons (operation, maintenance and repairs), which have been integrated, by the US manufacturers, into the next generation of the military systems, saving the US many years of research and development, increasing US exports and expanding the US employment base – a mega billion dollar bonanza for the US. At the same time, the US armed forces have benefitted from Israel’s military intelligence and battle experience, as well as joint training maneuvers with Israel’s defense forces, which has improved the US formulation of battle tactics.

Prime Minister Bennett, your visit to Washington, is an opportunity to demonstrate your adherence to your deeply-rooted strong Israeli positions, rejecting the ill-advised appeals and temptations to sacrifice Israel’s national security on the altar of convenience and popularity.

Yours truly,

Yoram Ettinger, expert on US-Israel relations and Middle East affairs

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Videos

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