Assist. Secy. of State Andrew Shapiro Stresses Strong US-Israel Security Relationship

Matthew Green — July 20, 2010 – 11:29 am | Barack Obama | Foreign Policy | Iran | Israel | Military | Terrorism Comments (0) Add a comment

Last Friday, I heard Andrew Shapiro, the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs, deliver a speech at the Brookings Institution regarding the Obama Administration’s approach to security cooperation with Israel. Before a packed room, Shapiro prefaced his speech by saying:

“I am particularly pleased to be here at the Saban Center to address the Obama Administration’s enduring commitment to Israel’s security. And I am proud to say that as a result of this commitment, our security relationship with Israel is broader, deeper and more intense than ever before.”

And as Shapiro continued, it became increasingly clear how broad and deep that relationship actually is. He first pointed to the Obama Administration’s emphasis on increasing Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME). Describing a modern “technology war” facing Israel, Shapiro underscored the Obama Administration’s understanding of Israel’s unprecedented security concerns. He said,

“We must recognize that the ever-evolving technology of war is making it harder to guarantee Israel’s security. For six decades, Israelis have guarded their borders vigilantly. But advances in rocket technology require new levels of U.S.-Israel cooperation.”

Of the Obama Administration, he said,

“This Administration is particularly focused on Israel’s security precisely because of the increasingly complex and severe threats that it faces in the region.”

Shapiro continued by highlighting the “common values, interwoven cultures, and mutual interests” of the US and Israel. He pointed to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s unyielding commitment to promoting peace in the region because, in her words, “the status quo is unacceptable.” Without peace, Israel can never really be secure. Shapiro asserted,

“Regional peace must begin with the recognition by every party that the United States will always stand behind Israel’s security. As President Obama put it, ‘no wedge will be driven between us.’

Israel’s right to exist, and to defend itself, is not negotiable. No lasting peace will be possible unless that fact is accepted. It is our hope that the Administration’s expanded commitment to Israel’s security will advance the process by helping the Israeli people seize this opportunity and take the tough decisions necessary for a comprehensive peace.”

I found it particularly intriguing that according to Shapiro, President Obama is not just continuing previous administrations’ support of Israel, but in fact enhancing it. Emphasizing Israel’s QME - its ability to counter state and non-state enemies while “sustaining minimal casualties” - is part of Obama’s enrichment of the bedrock support already in place. In order to ensure that Israel’s QME is as great as possible, Shapiro said, the US has recently committed considerable future aid to Israel. In fact, the Foreign Military Financing program currently sends nearly $3 billion to Israel - the single largest chunk of a $5 billion total budget spread amongst roughly 70 nations. And regarding the Obama Administration’s specific aid requests, Shapiro said,

“For Fiscal Year 2010, the Administration requested $2.775 billion in security assistance funding specifically for Israel, the largest such request in U.S. history. Congress fully funded our request for FY 2010, and we have requested even more - $3.0 billion - for FY 2011. These requests fulfill the Administration’s commitment to implementing the 2007 memorandum of understanding with Israel to provide $30 billion in security assistance over 10 years.”

In addition to financial aid, Shapiro pointed out that the US has also sponsored joint military exercises with Israel like the JUNIPER COBRA 2010 ballistic missile defense exercise. Israeli soldiers keep on attending US military schools, and the US continues to sell Israel a great deal of military equipment. Yet the point that most piqued my interest was Shapiro’s list of the various ways in which Israeli technologies directly benefit the US military. He said,

“Israeli-origin equipment deployed on Iraqi and Afghan battlefields are protecting American troops every day. This includes armor plating technology for U.S. military vehicles and unique medical solutions such as the ‘Israeli bandage’ - a specially designed antibiotic-treated dressing that has been used widely by our men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also includes sensors, surveillance equipment, unmanned aerial vehicle technology, and detection devices to seek out IED’s. Many such partnerships and investments between our two governments and U.S. and Israeli defense firms have yielded important groundbreaking innovations that ultimately make us all safer.”

Before closing his speech, Shapiro highlighted the Obama Administration’s support for the $205 million Iron Dome missile defense initiative, which is entirely separate from the nearly $3 billion in predetermined aid.

Assistant Secretary Shapiro’s words reinforced just how committed the Obama Administration is to protecting Israel’s security. More than issuing a couple talking points, he really outlined the Administration’s comprehensive approach to supporting the Jewish state. Shapiro concluded,

“As surely as the bond between the United States and Israel is unbreakable, our commitment to Israel’s qualitative military edge has never been greater. And I can assure you that under the leadership of President Obama and Secretary Clinton, our relationship will always receive the time, attention and focus that it deserves.”

Read the full text here.

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