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**Paul Bunyan** · 07-28-2009, 02:44 PM

2) Israel would not be a nebech without America and America needs Israel, no less than Israel needs America

I think this sort of talk is self-delusion of the worst kind because it prevents us from forming competent policies by clouding our judgment. Firstly let's get some sense of proportion here. The US exports approximately $1.4 trillion worth of goods and services annually, and imports around $2.2 trillion. Of those exports, $10 billion go to Israel - a whopping 0.7%. Meanwhile, by a very generous estimation Israeli exports to the US total around $21 billion dollars worth of goods and services, 0.95% of America's total imports. By comparison, Israel is extremely dependent upon US markets for its exports, with 40% of Israeli exports being consumed by the US. Meanwhile US goods and services account for something like 15-25% of Israeli imports. To put it bluntly, the sheer size of the US economy by comparison to our own makes us irrelevant. If all economic relations between us came to an end, the US would get along just fine - Israel would suffer a severe blow.

The military relationship is equally one-sided. I grant you, Israeli technology is sometimes used by the US. But in many of these cases, the research and development of the technology is also funded in large part by the US. This has been the case with Israel's most ambitious military projects including the Lavi (later shut down by the US), M/THEL, the Arrow and Arrow II. Then comes the annual US aid, as well as access to American weaponry and technology which is absolutely vital to guaranteeing our military edge in the region. I know that it is frequently said that this aid amounts to only 1.5% of Israeli GDP and is essentially a subsidy for US arms manufacturers which helps to keep Americans in business, but as far as I am concerned this is the same sort of self-delusion. Firstly, the latter argument seems ridiculous to me, the US could easily stop giving the aid to us and instead give it to their own Department of Defence (it would be a mere ~0.4% increase in its budget) thereby keeping American jobs and getting the military equipment themselves. They've no need to give it to us to do that. As for Israel not being dependent upon the aid, this may be true. But the aid cannot be looked at in isolation - it is the totality of our very favourable military relationship which needs to be considered. The IAF will be among the first air forces in the world to have access to the F-35. More generally America gives Israel access to highly advanced technology certainly not made available to just any nation, and the military aid gives us the capacity to buy that without having to raise the funds ourselves. And as I previously mentioned, there is the matter of American-Israeli joint ventures in defense research, for example the David's Sling ABM system currently under development and a range of other projects.

In the diplomatic sphere, too, we benefit far more than the US do from our relations. Even if we consider only the United Nations Security Council, the sheer number of resolutions vetoed on our behalf are indicative of the international isolation we would likely find ourselves facing were the US not at our side.

It is foolish and dangerous to suppose that the US needs us as much as we need them. It is clearly not the case. We share certain interests and certain common values and ideals, but beyond that the relationship is very much in our favour and we are far more dependent upon it in every way. For us, losing the US as an ally would be absolutely disastrous, and Israel's NUMBER ONE foreign policy objective should ALWAYS be to maintain and advance the relationship with America.

07-28-2009, 02:44 PM	#3
Paul Bunyan Join Date Jul 2007 Age 59 Posts 4,495 Senior Member	2) Israel would not be a nebech without America and America needs Israel, no less than Israel needs America I think this sort of talk is self-delusion of the worst kind because it prevents us from forming competent policies by clouding our judgment. Firstly let's get some sense of proportion here. The US exports approximately $1.4 trillion worth of goods and services annually, and imports around $2.2 trillion. Of those exports, $10 billion go to Israel - a whopping 0.7%. Meanwhile, by a very generous estimation Israeli exports to the US total around $21 billion dollars worth of goods and services, 0.95% of America's total imports. By comparison, Israel is extremely dependent upon US markets for its exports, with 40% of Israeli exports being consumed by the US. Meanwhile US goods and services account for something like 15-25% of Israeli imports. To put it bluntly, the sheer size of the US economy by comparison to our own makes us irrelevant. If all economic relations between us came to an end, the US would get along just fine - Israel would suffer a severe blow. The military relationship is equally one-sided. I grant you, Israeli technology is sometimes used by the US. But in many of these cases, the research and development of the technology is also funded in large part by the US. This has been the case with Israel's most ambitious military projects including the Lavi (later shut down by the US), M/THEL, the Arrow and Arrow II. Then comes the annual US aid, as well as access to American weaponry and technology which is absolutely vital to guaranteeing our military edge in the region. I know that it is frequently said that this aid amounts to only 1.5% of Israeli GDP and is essentially a subsidy for US arms manufacturers which helps to keep Americans in business, but as far as I am concerned this is the same sort of self-delusion. Firstly, the latter argument seems ridiculous to me, the US could easily stop giving the aid to us and instead give it to their own Department of Defence (it would be a mere ~0.4% increase in its budget) thereby keeping American jobs and getting the military equipment themselves. They've no need to give it to us to do that. As for Israel not being dependent upon the aid, this may be true. But the aid cannot be looked at in isolation - it is the totality of our very favourable military relationship which needs to be considered. The IAF will be among the first air forces in the world to have access to the F-35. More generally America gives Israel access to highly advanced technology certainly not made available to just any nation, and the military aid gives us the capacity to buy that without having to raise the funds ourselves. And as I previously mentioned, there is the matter of American-Israeli joint ventures in defense research, for example the David's Sling ABM system currently under development and a range of other projects. In the diplomatic sphere, too, we benefit far more than the US do from our relations. Even if we consider only the United Nations Security Council, the sheer number of resolutions vetoed on our behalf are indicative of the international isolation we would likely find ourselves facing were the US not at our side. It is foolish and dangerous to suppose that the US needs us as much as we need them. It is clearly not the case. We share certain interests and certain common values and ideals, but beyond that the relationship is very much in our favour and we are far more dependent upon it in every way. For us, losing the US as an ally would be absolutely disastrous, and Israel's NUMBER ONE foreign policy objective should ALWAYS be to maintain and advance the relationship with America.
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