DEFENSE COOPERATION BETWEEN THE USA AND ISRAEL AT THE MODERN STAGE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2786-9385/2025-6-13Keywords:
United States, Israel, Middle East, Hamas, defense cooperation, military-technical cooperation, military assistance, military exercisesAbstract
The article attempts to analyze defense cooperation between the United States and Israel at the present stage. In particular, the emphasis is placed on the chronological period from 2019 to 2025, which is determined by the intensification of American foreign policy initiatives in the security sphere regarding the Middle East and Israel directly. The authors study defense cooperation between the United States and Israel taking into account the methods of defense diplomacy, in particular in the following dimensions: political dialogue, military-strategic cooperation, joint military exercises and training, defense planning and strategic communications, intelligence sharing and cyber defense, educational and scientific cooperation in the defense sector, civil-military and humanitarian spheres. Particular attention is paid to the impact of the Memorandum of Understanding for 2019–2028, which established the financial aspects and strategic goals of the US military assistance to Israel, contributed to the modernization of weapons and increased technological compatibility of the armed forces of two states. Attention is also focused on the modernization of civil-military cooperation between the states, taking into account the peace plan for Gaza proposed by D. Trump in September 2025. At the same time, the issues due to the humanity of the use of American aid in conflict situations and the need to monitor and assess the effectiveness of such support are considered. The high level of institutional cooperation between the leading defense departments and military structures of the states is noted, which is embodied in a number of practical activities (military exercises «Noble Dina» and «Juniper Falcon», integration of the anti-missile defense systems «Iron Dome» and THAAD, the «Cyber Iron Dome» program). The authors concluded that the comprehensive partnership between the United States and Israel provides a strategic advantage for both states in the region, contributes to stability, and deters threats in the Middle East (Iran and the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah), which has been manifested in practical defense cooperation under both the Trump and Biden administrations.
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