Israeli-United States Relations

Abstract

Israeli-U.S. relations are an important factor in U.S. policy in the Middle East, and Congress has placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship. The main vehicle for expressing support for Israel has been foreign aid; Israel currently receives about $3 billion per year in economic and military grants, refugee settlement assistance, and other aid. Congress has monitored the aid issue closely along with other issues in bilateral relations, and its concerns have affected several Administration's policies. U.S.-Israeli relations have evolved from an initial American policy of sympathy and support for the creation of a Jewish homeland in 1948 to an unusual partnership that links a small but militarily powerful Israel, dependent on the United States for its economic and military strength, with the U.S. superpower trying to balance competing interests in the region. Some in the United States question the levels of aid and general commitment the United States has to Israel, and argue that a U.S. bias toward Israel operates at the expense of improved U.S. relations with various Arab states. Others maintain that democratic Israel is a strategic ally, and that U.S. relations with Israel strengthens the U.S. presence in the Middle East. The United States fully supported the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles signed in Washington on September 13, 1993, and the follow-up agreements in May 1994, September 1995, the Hebron agreement of January 15, 1997, and the Wye agreement of October 23, 1998, mediated by President Clinton. See also CRS Issue Brief IB85066, "Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance"; CRS Issue Brief IB91137, "The Middle East Peace Talks"; CRS Report RS20339, "Jerusalem: The U.S. Embassy and P.L. 104-45"; and CRS Report RS20001, "Jonathan Pollard: Background and Consideration for Presidential Clemency."

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 28, 2003
Accession Number
ADA476218

Entities

People

  • Clyde Mark

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Commerce
  • Congress
  • Department Of State
  • Governments
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Middle East
  • Military Assistance
  • Military Equipment
  • National Security
  • Negotiations
  • Strategic Defense Initiative
  • Surface To Air Missiles
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union
  • Government and Public Administration Law.