Vital Support

Does US aid to Israel meet US national security interests? To answer this question, I review the long history of US aid to Israel and the role it played in the shaping of that nation, and the Middle East as a whole. Diplomatically, the US was the first nation that officially recognized Israel's existence. Economically, the US has provided billions of dollars in financial assistance, and militarily the US supports Israel through arms contracts, transfers, and partnerships. Over the years, this support has been absolutely vital to the survival of the State of Israel, and I believe that continued US aid will remain as important. In this paper, I analyze the 2006 US National Security Strategy to determine how US aid to Israel fulfills those stated objectives. Specifically, I examine the stated intent to promote democracy, help win the Global War on Terror, work to defuse regional conflicts, and encourage economic growth. These are US national objectives as outlined by the President, and I show how US aid to Israel supports their success. I also examine some of the negative aspects of this relationship, with specific attention to the context of the Global War on Terror and international law. Ultimately, I conclude that US aid does meet our interests, but that our policy must be modified in light of the current Global War on Terror.