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Strategic Cooperation
The U.S. and Israel are engaged in extensive strategic,
political and military cooperation. This cooperation
is broad and includes American aid, intelligence sharing,
joint military exercises, and a mutual commitment
to defending democracy. American military aid to Israel
comes in different forms, including grants, special
project allocations and loans. Approximately 75% of
this aid is spent in the United States, providing
American jobs, buttressing the American defense industry,
and generating economic growth.
Memorandum
of Understanding
to address threats to security in the Middle East,
including joint military exercises and readiness activities,
cooperation in defense trade and access to maintenance
facilities. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding
marked the beginning of close security cooperation
and coordination between the American and Israeli
governments. Comprehensive cooperation between Israel
and the United States on security issues became official
in 1981 when Israel's Defense Minister Ariel Sharon
and American Secretary of Defense Casper Weinberger
signed a Memorandum of Understanding that recognized
"the common bonds of friendship between the United
States and Israel and builds on the mutual security
relationship that exists between the two nations."
The memorandum called for several measures.
Above:
Lt. Gen. H Steven Blum, chief of the National Guard
Bureau, meets Israeli soldiers training in urban warfare
techniques while visiting the IDF's National Center
for Ground Training in the Negev Desert.
Arrow
Missile System
One facet of the U.S.-Israel strategic relationship
is the joint development of the Arrow Anti-Ballistic
Missile Program. Designed to intercept and destroy
ballistic missiles, the Arrow is the most advanced
missile defense system in the world. The development
is funded by both Israel and the United States. Not
only does the Arrow protect Israel, it has also provided
the U.S. the research and experience necessary to
develop additional defensive weapons systems.
Counter-Terrorism
In April 1996, President Bill Clinton and Prime Minister
Shimon Peres signed the U.S.-Israel Counter-terrorism
Accord. The two countries agreed to further cooperation
in information sharing, training, investigations,
research and development and policymaking.
Above:
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff meets with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Washington, D.C.
Homeland
Security
At the federal, state and local levels there is
close Israeli-American cooperation on Homeland Security.
Israel was one of the first countries to cooperate
with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in developing
initiatives to enhance homeland security. In this
framework, there are many areas of partnership, including
preparedness and protection of travel and trade. American
and Israeli law enforcement officers and Homeland
Security officials regularly meet in both countries
to study counter-terrorism techniques and new ideas
regarding intelligence gathering and threat prevention.
In December 2005, the United States and Israel signed
an agreement to begin a joint effort to detect the
smuggling of nuclear and other radioactive material
by installing special equipment in Haifa, Israel's
busiest seaport. This effort is part of a nonproliferation
program of the U.S. Department of Energy's National
Nuclear Security Administration that works with foreign
partners to detect, deter, and interdict illicit trafficking
in nuclear and other radioactive materials.
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