2013 Briefing Book - Print Version - Aipac

RELATIONSHIP
that providing military and political support to Israel serves the cause of peace. If peace is to
be realized, then both potential adversaries and would-be partners must understand clearly the
immutability of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
The United States and Israel Work Together to Combat Threats
The United States and Israel face many of the same threats, including the proliferation of weapons of
mass destruction, the growth of state-sponsored terrorism and the spread of Islamist radicalism. The
two countries have set up a complex and cost-effective network of strategic cooperation programs,
which include sharing cutting-edge technology and valuable intelligence, conducting combined military
exercises, and researching and developing new defense systems. The United States has also prepositioned
matériel in Israel for use in the event that the United States ever needs to respond quickly to
a future Middle East conflict.
American military aid has helped Israel attain a qualitative edge over Arab countries and terrorist
entities that have waged several wars in the hope of destroying the Jewish state. U.S. support has
also helped prevent war, because Arab states and radical regimes contemplating attacks on Israel
know that they will face a U.S. ally defending itself with the world’s best weapons systems.
In addition to providing this vital assistance, U.S. leaders have explicitly stated their commitment
to Israel’s security against existential threats, vowing to help defend the Jewish state should it come
under attack. “America’s commitment to Israel’s security also flows from a deeper place—and that’s
the values we share,” President Obama said. “As two people who struggled to win our freedom
against overwhelming odds, we understand that preserving the security for which our forefathers
U.S. security assistance to Israel has helped the Jewish state protect itself from those who seek its destruction.
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