Will Israel Give Up Military Cooperation with the US?

• 06.23.2016, 14:26
•  America,  Near East,  World

quietmike.org

At the beginning of this week the visit of the Israeli newly appointed Defense Minister, Avigdor Liberman to Washington took place, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports. In the statement released by the Pentagon on the occasion of the meeting between Avigdor Liberman and the US Defense Minister, Ashton Carter, it was noted: "Secretary Carter and Minister Liberman reaffirmed the strength of the U.S.- Israeli defense relationship and the United States’ unwavering commitment to Israel’s security," the Pentagon said in a statement after the meeting. In its turn Lieberman's bureau noted that the meeting took place in a "good and friendly atmosphere," HAARETZ reports. As the same source reports during the visit Liberman and his US colleague visited Lockheed Martin factories to observe F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet, to be sent to Israel from the US in the upcoming six months.

The Israeli media source described the visit of the Israeli Defense Minister as an introductory one. However, to understand whether the appointment of the new Defense Minister will change anything in the US-Israeli  military cooperation and the real motives behind the visit it will be useful to understand what the stance of Liberman is on the US-Israeli cooperation. For this purpose one should go back and observe the years, when Liberman still acted as a Foreign Minister of Israel. It is interesting to note that because of Liberman’s radical stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its neighbors (once Foreign Minister Lieberman suggested depriving Palestinians of Israeli citizenship, expending Jewish Israeli settlements in the West Bank, bombing Egypt’s massive Aswan Dam etc. Forward reports) the contacts between the US and at that time Israeli Foreign Minister were not that smooth, and the cooperation between the US and Israel was conducted at the level of Defense Ministers. Besides Soviet-born, Russian-speaking Lieberman while being a Foreign Minster focused on improving relations with Russia.

Despite of the all factors mentioned, it should be noted that Israel is unlikely to radically change its foreign policy towards the US and give up their military cooperation. The proof of this is the negotiations around ten-year Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between the US and Israel, which presupposes new level of military aid to Israel from the US. And the fact that in spite of the exiting disagreement the Israeli newly appointed Defense Minister visited the US proves that Israel continues to be interested in a long-term military cooperation with the US.