The Jewish State is the most qualified strategic American ally, safeguarding US national security and economic interests.
By Amb. (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, The Ettinger Report
As 2022 begins, Israel is the most critical partner of the US in sustaining its edge over China, Russia, Europe and Japan in the development and manufacturing of game-changing commercial and military technologies.
In 2022, with merely 0.11% of the global population, Israel will remain second only to – and closely collaborating with – the US as far as the development of ground-breaking hightech innovations. Moreover, Israel’s brainpower has attracted 20% of the global investment in cyber technologies, while the number Israel’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) startups account to some 20% of the global total.
In 2022, Israel will be second only to the US in the development and manufacturing of commercial, military and dual-use intelligence technologies and systems (e.g., remote-control jammers, counter-IED and booby-trap measures, remote-control explosives neutralization, electronic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum).
In fact, around 60% of Israeli-developed intelligence and counter-terrorism systems have reached the US through joint ventures with leading US manufacturers, US-owned research and development centers in Israel, and US acquisitions from Israeli manufacturers.
For example, hacking into the iPhone of the San Bernardino Islamic terrorist (who murdered 14 people at a Christmas celebration in December 2015) was facilitated by an Israeli mobile forensic technology used by the FBI.
Also, the 2006 killing of the top al-Qaeda terrorist in Iraq, al-Zarqawi, was facilitated by the Israeli-developed and manufactured (“Rafael Armament Development Authority”) Litening infrared targeting and navigation pod, installed on a US Air Force F-16.
In 2022, the US (mostly) and Israel will remain the global co-leaders in the development and manufacturing of mini-size, small-size and medium-size satellites, as well as surveillance and strike-role unmanned aerial vehicles.
In 2022, the US and Israel will continue to expand air, naval and ground forces joint maneuvers, training and visitations, leveraging Israel’s unique battlefield experience in combatting Palestinian and Islamic terrorism and facing Russian and Iranian military systems (e.g., battle tactics formulation; acquaintance with Soviet/Russian battle tactics and military systems such as radar, surface-to-air missiles, combat aircraft and tanks).
For instance, unprecedented air-defense cooperation has evolved between the US and Israeli air forces in response to rising mutual threats, such as Iran, in general, and Iran’s attack drones and ballistic missiles, in particular.
In 2022, the US will persist in leveraging Israel’s vast experience in securing the safety of commercial airports and airline passengers.
In 2022, unlike all Arab countries, Israel will still be the only stable, reliable, effective, technologically-advanced, democratic and unconditional ally of the US in the Middle East. Israel will continue serving as the most effective platform for the prepositioning of US military systems, medical supplies and ammunition in a critical region between Europe-Asia-Africa and the Mediterranean-Red Sea-Gulf of Aden-Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea-Persian Gulf.
In 2022, Israel will persist being the most effective battle-tested laboratory (and a mega-billion-dollar bonanza) for the US defense industries and armed-forces, and a second-to-none source of military intelligence to the US, foiling anti-US Islamic terrorism and enhancing the performance of the US national security agencies.
In 2022, some 250 US high-tech giants will continue to maintain – and expand – their research and development centers in Israel, leveraging Israel’s brain power. It has enhanced the competitiveness of the US industry in the global market, saving billions of dollars in research and development, while increasing US exports and expanding US employment.
The realization that Israel is a unique force-multiplier for the US was expressed as early as December 11, 1978 in a letter sent to President Carter by over 170 retired US Admirals and Generals: “….If not for the proven capability of the Israel Defense Force, we would be forced to station a significant number of men and substantial material in the Middle East…. The ability of the US to protect its security interests in the Middle East is closely linked, if not dependent on, the maintenance of a potent Israeli military capability…. In the event of a non-nuclear superpower conflict in the Middle East, Israel, by itself might deter Soviet combat forces intervention or prevent the completion of such deployment….”
In 2022, the steady reduction of the US military posture in the stormy Middle East will create a strategic void in an area, which is a global epicenter of the proliferation of anti-US Islamic terrorism, ballistic technologies and drug trafficking.
The aforementioned information about Israel’s unique contributions to the US, makes the Jewish State the most qualified strategic ally to fill-in this void, safeguarding US national security and economic interests.
In 2022, Israel will still be neither foreign to the US, nor will it receive aid. Israel is not a beneficiary of US foreign aid, but a beneficiary of an annual US investment, which yields to the US taxpayer a few hundred percent annual rate-of-return.