ABSTRACT

The security relationship and dialogue between the United States and Israel is robust, mutually beneficial and unprecedented in diplomatic history in terms of its reach and depth. However, it was not always this way, and hence the history and dynamics of how the security relationship developed – despite periodic bilateral crises – are critical to understanding the durability and direction of US–Israeli ties. There is a rule of thumb in relationships between sovereign states, especially between a global power and a regional power: nothing is forever. This said, the US–Israeli security alliance could very well prove to be an exception, thereby providing Israel in the future with an extra sense of security-in-depth. 1