NOVANEWS
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel addressing the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israel group closely allied with AIPAC, sought to stake out a pro-diplomacy position while giving the usual levels of lip-service to military support for Israel.
The result was a somewhat confusing split in reports of his speech, in which he simultaneously called for a “more delicate approach” to the Middle East that required the U.S. to “recognize its limitations,” while emphasizing policies that suggest nothing has really changed.
To that end, Hagel touted “reinforcing” Israel’s military advantage across the region, as well as backing Egypt and selling high end weaponry to the Persian Gulf states, while vowing to keep a “robust military presence” there as well.
Ultimately, if the speech seems to be self-contradictory it is because U.S. policy in the region also is. The recognition of a changing dynamic in the region and the inability of the U.S. to impose its will (or Israel’s will) militarily across the region is quite important. At the same time, the momentum for the old policy of throwing ridiculous amounts of weaponry at the region as a “stabilization” policy is not gone.
Hagel’s speech didn’t appear to make specific note of the disastrous implications of continuing the policy they know is inappropriate for the situation, but given the audience it is hardly surprising. Antiwar
“Beyond rocket and missile defense cooperation, DoD has been working for more than a year to increase Israel’s ability to confront and respond to a range of other threats,” Hagel said, using the abbreviation for the Department of Defense.
“These efforts culminated in our announcement last month that the United States has agreed to release a package of advanced new capabilities, including anti-radiation missiles and more effective radars for its fleet of fighter jets, KC-135 refueling aircraft and the V-22 Osprey,” he said. “Along with Israel’s status as the only Middle Eastern nation participating in the Joint Strike Fighter program, this new capabilities package will significantly upgrade their qualitative military edge.” Haaretz
Hagel also outlined U.S. defense sales to Israel’s neighbors, and said that these too served the Israeli-U.S. alliance. Haaretz
“Israel’s security is further enhanced by America’s defense cooperation with other regional allies,” he said. “In my consultations with Israeli leadership, I emphasized that strong U.S. security relationships with Arab nations – including Egypt and Jordan, and our partners in the Gulf – are not only in our strategic interests, they are also in Israel’s security interests.” Haaretz
The United States has been giving Israel billions of dollars in military and economic aid packages annually.
Israel receives about $3 billion from the U.S. in direct foreign assistance each year, which is roughly one-fifth of America’s foreign aid budget. ifamericansknew.org
The U.S. is giving $70 million more in military aid to Israel to help Israel speed up production of a missile system known as Iron Dome.
Contrary to ordinary U.S. policy, Israel has been and continues to be allowed to use approximately 25% of this military aid to purchase equipment from Israeli manufacturers. According to CRS, “no other recipient of U.S. military assistance has been granted this benefit.” ifamericansknew.org
