US-Israel strained Relations

Author :Rohia Mufaidi

MPhil International relations

Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad.

Back in the history, once Jimmy Carter acknowledged US-Israel relations by saying, “We have a special relationship with Israel.”  Since then this ‘special relationship’ has remained close and supportive. The Bilateral relationships have evolved from an initial US policy of sympathy and supportive for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to a remarkable relationship of shared security goals. US considers Israel its strategic ally which strengthens the US presence in the Middle East, however, this bilateral relationship has political dynamics as well in form of veto power in United Nations Security Council.
But US-Israel relations hit their lowest point in decades due to continuous changing affairs of Middle East. The crisis in US-Israel relations is often attributed to an ideological or personal conflict between Mr. Netanyahu and Barak Obama. The Middle East is transforming and undoubtedly the region has myriad of complex security issues which are affecting region in general and countries in particular. When we look at these existential issues then US-Israel relations can be analyzed with different perspectives.

The United States and Israel have struggled to adapt their national security strategies to a changed regional landscape. With the rising influence of Iran in the region and violent emergence of non-state actors like Hamas, Hezbollah and ISIS, the security and strategic challenges have been drastically changed for both countries. However, Israel and the United States have been reacting differently to tackle these issues.

President Obama prioritized diplomacy toward Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as president Obama gave a revealing interview to Israel’s Channel 2 and argued, “If the current "status-quo" between Israel and the Palestinians were not resolved, then demographics and the frustration of the Palestinians would force Israel into a choice "about the nature of the Israeli state and its character". He went further, warning that there could be more immediate ‘diplomatic’ consequences too.

Similarly, by clinging a nuclear deal with Iran, US attained a diplomatic triumph. While on the other hand Mr. Netanyahu declared this deal as a “Historic Mistake”. This created rift between the two countries.

Hence, despite these differences, the relation is indispensable in strategic terms because for the US Israel is an ally in today’s Middle East: it not only shares U.S. interests but also is willing and able to advance them. Similarly, for Israel, the US alliance is a security pillar.  

Although these are tumultuous times for the relationship between Israel and its closest ally, the US; but the foundations are still stable. Moreover, the rift over certain political issues is to a degree superficial and it does not touch the deeper relations in intelligence, defense, technology, finance and cultural exchange.  

Nonetheless, there is trust deficit in the relation due to clash of ideas but the fact that US economic dependency on Israel is paramount. Israel is a major US economic partner in Middle East. As Mr. Sean Hackbarth mentioned in his article that Israel is the top importer of U.S. goods in its region, despite representing a mere 2 percent of the population.  Therefore, the sour political relationship can have impact on US economic policies toward Israel which can create impediments for the future progress. The U.S. must be willing to engage in the incremental, unglamorous work of restoring trust -- among all sides -- to halt the regression of the peace process and rebuild its foundation. For the smooth functioning of relation, repair efforts will require both countries to take constructive and productive steps together

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