Israel has received moral support from America since its establishment as a nation in 1948. Israel gained significant military and economic help from the United States following its formation in 1948 as the newest nation. By 2022, the US provided its new nation with non-inflation-adjusted monetary support that totaled around $150 billion. Since 1972, the United States has exercised diplomatic protection of Israel through persistent vetoes at the UN Security Council.
The Trump Administration legalized Israel’s capital ownership of Jerusalem by shifting the US embassy there in 2017, thus cementing the United States’ support for Israel’s domination. Historical records show that the United States cast vetoes against 53 UN Security Council resolutions that targeted Israel during the thirteen years between 1972 and 1985 because of its enduring political backing of Israel. The world operates through national bilateral relationships and commercial partnerships that determine defence collaborations through shared costs and benefits.
Historical background of US and Israeli support
Among the first to recognize Israel’s sovereignty in 1948 was the United States. To maintain a balance with the USSR, the US refused to engage in peace negotiations for the first Arab-Israeli war. The US joined Britain and France in disapproving of Israel’s use of force during the 1956 Suez Crisis and applied economic coercion to achieve withdrawal. Through the threat of imposing financial restrictions on trade on nations with occupying troops, the United States managed to negotiate the pullout of French and British troops. After Israeli, British, and French troops pulled out, Egypt gained sole control over the Suez Canal.
Despite their objection to Israel’s secret nuclear work, the United States gave its approval for a nuclear facility’s construction, which France would assist in. The Israeli government maintained its resistance for several years by blocking US nuclear inspectors from inspecting the site completely. Mutual assistance from the United States and other nations supported Israel after its foundation, mainly focused on repair operations arising from the war’s damages. The United States and Israel have strengthened their relationship over time, which has extended support programs to embrace economic development alongside military defense. A significant moment came in 1973 when Congress approved $2.2 billion in emergency aid to Israel during the Yom Kippur War.
What are US interests in Israel?
US interests in the Middle East are to secure energy, resist outside influence, support Israel, combat terrorism, promote democracy, and control refugee flows. Regional dynamics heavily depend on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, yet US policy focus on it has shifted throughout time. Israel finds support from both Christian Evangelicals and American Jews mainly because of religious or cultural bonds, while their position on US-Israel relations stands as their top strategic priority. America demonstrates a reduced dedication to finding a settlement of the dispute compared to its earlier involvement. Although solving this conflict was an acute priority, recent years have observed a shift in priorities towards other regional concerns, including Iran’s policy and fighting in Syria and Yemen. Hostility between Palestinians and Israelis now seems to be secondary to the greater interests of US relations with both Iran and Arab Gulf states, thus diminishing the salience of the conflict.
Role of Israel in American policy
The United States views Israel as its essential strategic partner that supports Middle East policy goals. Through the financial support and diplomatic backing the US receives from Israel, the nation maintains protective functions across the Middle Eastern region on behalf of America. The strategic alliance connects these countries through their shared military support while exchanging intelligence data and conducting trading activities. Israel operates as a dependable democratic nation that aids US interests while maintaining peace in an unpredictable area. The economic and defence alignment, as well as shared research and business interests, contribute to sustained friendly relations between the two nations. Through its friendship with Israel, the United States obtains these core economic advantages:
1. Economic partnership and job creation
The economic alliance between the United States and Israel has resulted in economic expansion, together with employment growth. Since 1985, the business relationship between both countries emerged through the US-Israel Free Trade Agreement and maintained its growth in 2025. Since 1985, economic transactions between Israel and the United States have increased dramatically to exceed $50 billion yearly. Through this strong trading partnership, more than 255,000 American jobs exist to support various industries directly. Israeli companies operating in Massachusetts have directly employed 9,000 people and provided a further 27,000 positions through their investments, thus illustrating the major economic contribution Israeli enterprises make to the United States.
The agreement extends beyond traditional trade to provide substantial collaboration for R&D along with technological transfer and innovation work. The economic returns generated by the Binational Science Foundation (BSF) and the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), combined with the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Foundation (BARD), have created numerous American jobs ranging from 18,000 to 200,000 per different estimations. As Israel continues to fulfil its commitment to buy American products using its military funding, it will generate more than 20,000 direct jobs supported by an additional thousands throughout national industries by 2028.
2. Role in defense, research, and business
The defence research and business sectors between the United States and Israel maintain an active connection, which provides dual benefits for these key domains. Substantial investment from the United States enables Israeli defence capabilities to integrate into military operations, leading to the development and production of systems, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and David’s Arrow. The United States dedicated $600 million to funding Israeli air defence improvements that would result in creating missile interceptor systems for 2025. These defence systems enable American defence contractors, including Raytheon, to provide cooperative production services.
The two countries share their expertise in developing disruptive technologies that encompass climate solutions alongside quantum computing and artificial intelligence programs. A strategic alliance established in 2024 delivers concentrated attention to healthcare disease monitoring alongside renewable energy development and scientific academic meetings.
Israel stands as a leading global innovator because of its successful business ecosystem that attracts substantial US business collaboration and investment, although it has a high company density per person. American enterprises support Israel’s economy through mutual economic agreements that let them benefit from Tel Aviv’s science-based leadership in areas such as cybersecurity and aerospace technology. Strategic and technological, alongside commercial advantages, exist for both nations from their multifaceted cooperative framework.
The cornerstone of US-Israel relations
The collaboration between Israel and the United States exists through three main areas, which include military strategy as well as economic expansion and cultural ties. The strategic alliance between America and Israel serves vital Middle Eastern strategic requirements that support counterterrorism efforts and regional security. The economic relations between the United States and Israel generate yearly $50 billion worth of bilateral trade that supports a job market of 255,000 Americans. The advancement of international security occurs through defense cooperation between nations as it boosts their technological capabilities through joint research projects.
