PUTTING THE SPECIAL
RELATIONSHIP IN PERSPECTIVE

The U.S.-Israel Relationship is
NOT at risk – As David Makovsky from the Washington Institute for Middle East Policy pointed out, “the
U.S.-Israel relationship still has a solid core.” There have been almost a dozen separate high-level visits to each country in just the last two months, as the two countries are cooperating extremely closely in their efforts to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon. The United States also stood with Israel in resisting the unbalanced Goldstone report on Gaza and condemning the PA's decision to name a square in Ramallah after a convicted terrorist. The two countries also engaged in a massive military exercise together recently.   This week, Secretary of Defense Gates and Defense Minister Barak met to affirm U.S. military commitment to Israeli security.

Obama and Netanyahu disagree about West Bank and East Jerusalem Settlements – Yes, the President and the Prime Minister do disagree over policy, just like George W. Bush originally opposed the Security Fence and Ariel Sharon opposed the Iraq War (source: “Sharon Warned Bush”, Forward 12/7/03).  
As the White House said, “mature, bilateral relationships can have disagreements. And this is one of those disagreements. It does not break the unbreakable bond that we have with the Israeli government and with the Israeli people on their security, our commitment to Israel's security [and its people] is unchanged.”  This dispute has
been more public than in the past, but unlike other disputes by other administrations, it has not affected the level of cooperation and support on any level and will not affect the outcome of the final borders if and when a
two state solution is finally negotiated.

Israel-U.S. Cooperation on Iran is strong.   The U.S. and Israel continue to make stopping a nuclear Iran a priority.   Israel has openly supported Obama’s efforts to bring
true international sanctions to bear on Iran, including ones that Bush opposed
or refused to invoke.  Unlike under
Bush, China and Russia, major trading partners of Iran, are cooperating. Obama has made clear that the military option is not off the table.  Any quotes to the contrary are not accurate.

Obama has supported full funding of aid to Israel.  Any claim that Obama is cutting off or reducing aid to Israel is untrue.  Right-wing
papers such as Commentary, American
Thinker and National Review have
circulated inaccurate articles stating that Obama is withholding weapons, refusing visas to nuclear scientists and threatening to cut off aid or housing guarantees.  These accusations are false and most have been retracted.   Obama’s foreign aid package increased military aid, and
both the White House and the Israeli government have denied that the visa story
is true.

In 1972, Nixon threatened to cut off military aid to Israel over settlements.  President Reagan deliberately delayed shipments of arms to Israel and sold AWACS to Saudi Arabia.   In 1991, President George H.W. Bush withheld housing loan guarantees to Israel.  In 2006, Bush Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice filed a complaint with the United Nations over Israel’s treatment of Gaza refugees and facilitated the sale of F-16s to the Saudis.  These are all far more serious threats to Israel’s security than the discussions going on now.