Israel’s ties that bind

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Mitchell Bard is the director of the Jewish Virtual Library and the author of "Will Israel Survive?"

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One pillar of the special relationship is mutual strategic interests. Until the mid-1960s, State Department and Pentagon officials argued that Israel did not need American arms because it was strong enough to defend itself and had other arms sources. They also said that selling U.S. arms to Israel would alienate Arab states, which could seek weapons from the Soviets and Chinese, thus sparking a Middle East arms race.

U.S. policy shifted when, disregarding State Department objections, President Kennedy sold antiaircraft missiles to Israel shortly after Egypt obtained long-range bombers from the USSR. President Johnson subsequently provided Israel with tanks and aircraft, balancing these sales with arms transfers to Arab countries. But Johnson's sale of Phantom jets to Israel in 1968 established the U.S. as Israel's principal arms supplier and ensured Israel's qualitative military edge over its neighbors.

President Reagan formalized this strategic relationship in a 1981 agreement to "enhance strategic cooperation to deter all threats from the Soviet Union to the region." By the end of Reagan's term, the U.S. had pre-positioned equipment in Israel, held regular joint training exercises and began co-development of the Arrow anti-tactical ballistic missile and other cooperative military endeavors. Israel became a de facto American ally, and the Arab states learned that the U.S. was not afraid to risk upsetting them.

Another pillar is shared values. While living in a region dominated by autocracies, Israelis have a commitment to democracy no less passionate than that of Americans. All citizens of Israel, regardless of race, religion or sex, are guaranteed equality before the law and full democratic rights. Israel's independent judiciary vigorously upholds these rights. The political system differs slightly from America's — Israel's is a parliamentary democracy — but it is still based on free elections with divergent parties.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-bard10jan10,0,1721170.story?coll=la-promo-opinion