Israel Foreign Policy
Israel is located in the Middle East, along the
eastern coastline of the
Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Lebanon, Syria,
Jordan and Egypt. It lies at the
junction of three continents: Europe, Asia,
and Africa. Long and narrow in shape
the country is only 290 miles in length
and 85 miles in width at its widest
point. Israel is a country of immigrants.
Since its creation in 1948, the
population has increased seven-fold. Today,
its over six million inhabitants
represent many different cultures and
traditions, including Jews from Ethiopia,
Morocco, the Soviet Union,
Europe and America. Jews from around the world have
immigrated to Israel and
make up 80% of the Israeli population. The other 20% is
made up mostly of
Arabs. (Encyclopedia Britannica) On May 14, 1948, immediately
following the
proclamation of the state of Israel, President Harry S. Truman
extended
recognition to the new state. This act marked the beginning of a
relationship
based on common values and characterized by deep friendship,
economic support
and mutual respect. The similarities between the two countries
are notable:
both are vibrant democracies anchored in liberal traditions; both
began as
pioneer societies; and both are still receiving and integrating
new
immigrants. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, a region
dominated
by authoritarian and military regimes. In a very unstable region of
the world,
Israel stands out as the only country with regular,
competitive elections, a
free press, and free speech. By supporting Israel,
the U.S. stays true to its
historic national commitment to strengthen fellow
democracies. In addition,
Israel is a reliable strategic partner in the
fight against terrorism, the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by
rogue regimes; state-sponsored
terrorism; the potential disruption of access
to Middle East oil; and the spread
of Islamic radicalism. The U.S. Israeli
partnership has also been cost
effective, avoiding the expensive deployment
of American troops. No U.S. troops
have ever been required to protect Israel,
while by comparison America maintains
135,000 troops in Europe and spends
nearly $80 billion each year on the defense
of Europe.(Country Study, 234)
Maintaining Israel's military advantage has
proven an efficient way to ensure
that American interests will prevail against
the forces of terror,
authoritarianism, and extremism. Despite constant tensions
with Arab
neighbors, border disputes, full-out war, terrorist threats, and a
yet
unresolved Palestinian problem, the U.S. has remained loyal to Israel.
America's
long-standing commitment allows Israel to negotiate with its former
and current
adversaries from a position of strength. Israel can take risks
for peace only
because of unwavering American support; this support has also
prodded Israel's
Arab neighbors to deal directly with Israel. (JSOURCE)
The Clinton
administration has played a key role in the Middle East peace
process by
actively supporting the agreements between Israel and the
Palestinians, Israel's
peace treaty with Jordan, negotiations with Syria and
efforts to promote
regional cooperation, including an end to the Arab
boycott. Pledging to maintain
Israel's qualitative edge, it has also
committed itself to minimizing the
security risks that Israel might incur in
its pursuit of peace. Moreover, the
United States has recently taken
several important measures to back Israel in
its war against terrorism. The
continuing and deepening amity between Israel and
the United States has been
defined by various American administrations in terms
ranging from the
preservation of Israel as a 'basic tenet' of American foreign
policy, with
emphasis on a 'special relationship' between the two states, to a
declaration
of an American commitment to Israel. (Country Study, 245) By the
early 1980s,
Israel was regarded by the United States as a strategic asset and
was
designated, in accordance with legislation passed the previous year, as
a
major non-NATO ally. Congressional backing for Israel is bipartisan.
Support for
annual military and economic assistance, the peace process and
Israel's struggle
against terrorism have been hallmarks of Congress'
commitment to United
States-Israel friendship, as was the passage of
legislation (1995) recognizing
Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel
and calling for the establishment of
the United States embassy in Jerusalem
by May 1999. The special relationship
encompasses mutual economic, political,
strategic and diplomatic concerns.
Israel currently receives some $3
billion a year in security and economic aid,
and bilateral trade has been
enhanced by the Israel-United States Free Trade
Area Agreement (1985).
(JSOURCE) A growing number of joint ventures sponsored by
Israeli and
American industrial firms have been established, and several
American
states have entered into 'state-to-state' agreements with Israel,
involving
activities ranging from culture to agriculture. Israel has
expressed
eagerness to share with the international community skills learned
from its own
development experience: overcoming harsh climatic conditions,
inadequate water
resources, decertification, disease and epidemics, and
finding solutions to
socioeconomic problems. This desire led to the founding
in 1958 of MASHAV - The
Center for International Cooperation within the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
MASHAV is currently cooperating with 141
countries, authorities and
international agencies to promote technical
cooperation programs in various
fields. Cooperation efforts include countries
in Africa, Asia, the Commonwealth
of Independent States and Latin America.
(Country Study, 285) It is Israel's
fervent wish to maintain good relations
with all countries, with their
governments and their peoples... (David
Ben-Gufion, 1952) With memories of
centuries of persecution and the
devastating experience of the Holocaust and the
decades-long Arab Israeli
conflict, Israel's foreign policy has been geared to
advance peace by
resolving the Arab -Israeli conflict, while ensuring the
country's security
promoting cooperation with all nations. "Israeli foreign
policy is chiefly
influenced by Israel's strategic situation, the Arab-Israeli
conflict, and
the rejection of Israel by most of the Arab states. The Goals of
Israeli
policy are therefore to overcome diplomatic isolation and to
achieve
recognition and friendly relations with as many nations as possible,
both in the
middle east and beyond." (Country Study, 230) Israel and Egypt
signed a
peace treaty in 1979, marking the end of 30 years of relentless
hostility and
five costly wars. The treaty was preceded by Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat's
visit to Jerusalem in 1977, at the invitation of Israel's Prime
Minister
Menachem Begin, as well as the signing of the Camp David Accords
in 1978, which
constituted a basis for peace between Egypt and Israel and
between Israel and
its other neighbors. The accords also addressed the need
to solve the
Palestinian issue, following a five-year interim phase of
autonomy for the
Palestinian Arab residents of Judea and Samaria (the
West Bank) and the Gaza
Strip. President Sadat and Prime minister Begin
were jointly awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize for their achievement. The
peace implemented between Israel and
Egypt consists of several major
elements, including the termination of the state
of war as well as acts or
threats of belligerency, hostility or violence; the
establishment of
diplomatic, economic and cultural ties; the removal of barriers
to trade and
freedom of movement; and withdrawal by Israel from the Sinai
peninsula, with
agreed security arrangements and limited force zones. Israel
completed its
withdrawal from the Sinai in 1982 according to the terms of the
treaty,
giving up strategic military bases and other assets in exchange for
peace.
Although Egypt was ostracized by other Arab states following the signing
of
the treaty, most have since reestablished relations with Egypt and
reopened
their embassies in Cairo. The headquarters of the Arab League, which
had been
transferred to Tunis, were reinstated in Cairo in the early 1980s.
Having to
overcome 30 years of distrust and hostility, normalization of
relations between
Israel and Egypt is a long and arduous process. Yet,
embassies and consulates
have been established by both countries, and
meetings between government
ministers and high-ranking officials take place
regularly. Reciprocal visits of
businessmen and experts in various fields
have also become commonplace. Airline
and bus routes operate daily between
the two countries, and a decision to
establish a permanent joint committee
for the development of tourism has been
reached. Scientific cooperation
includes marine agriculture technology,
development of environmental
protection resources, cancer research and joint
projects on the prevention of
pollution in the Gulf of Eilat. Agricultural
cooperation is growing steadily;
in 1995 alone more than 700 farmers from Egypt
took part in courses on
agricultural subjects in Israel and on-the-spot courses
by Israeli experts in
Egypt were attended by 300 participants. As the first
state to sign a peace
treaty with Israel, Egypt assists in the ongoing
negotiations between Israel
and the Palestinians. Since 1994, three North
African Arab states -
Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia - have joined other Arab
countries and chosen
to take the path of peace and reconciliation by forming
diplomatic ties with
Israel. Initiated in different ways at various levels,
relations between
Morocco and Israel were formalized when Israel opened a
liaison office in
November of 1994 in the Moroccan capital, Rabat. Four months
later, Morocco
opened its office in Israel, thus formally establishing bilateral
diplomatic
relations. The Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Israel concluded
an
agreement at the Barcelona Conference in November 1995, in the presence of
the
Spanish foreign minister, to establish interest sections in the
Spanish
embassies in Tel Aviv and Nauakchott (the Mauritanian capital).
Mauritania
opened its diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv in May of 1996 and
indicated its wish
to fully normalize relations with Israel. Following a
timetable worked out by
Israel, Israel opened an interest office in
Tunisia in April 1996, and Tunisia
reciprocated six weeks later. Diplomatic
relations with the Maghreb countries
are especially important because of
Israel's large population of North African
emigres who retain an emotional
attachment to the countries where their families
lived for many centuries.
This affinity is an asset which may lead to more
profound relationships and
make a practical contribution to the peace process.
As a result of the
ongoing peace process in the Middle East, the Gulf States
have shown interest
in relations with Israel for the first time since 1948.
Initial contacts
were followed with a series of reciprocal visits by high-level
officials. In
May 1996, Israel opened a trade representation office in Oman to
develop
economic, scientific and trade relations, with emphasis on water
resources
utilization, tourism, agriculture, chemicals and advanced
technologies, while
Oman opened an office in Tel Aviv in August 1996. In May
1996, Israel set
up a trade representation office in Qatar to facilitate
development of an
ongoing economic and commercial relationship. Qatar is
expected to open a
similar office in Israel to promote mutually beneficial
activities and
projects. The State of Israel was admitted to the United Nations
as its 59th
member on 11 May 1949. Since then, it has participated in a wide
range of UN
operations and has endeavored to make its full contribution to
UN
organizations dealing with health, labor, food and agriculture, education
and
science. Israel plays an active role in the work of
non-governmental
organizations, conducted under UN auspices, which deal with
issues ranging from
aviation to immigration, from communications to
meteorology, from trade to the
status of women. Some UN resolutions have been
of crucial significance for
Israel, among them Security Council
Resolutions providing an agreed framework
for settling the Arab-Israel
dispute. Over the years, the UN has been active in
bringing about a cessation
of hostilities between Israel and its Arab neighbors
by appointing mediators,
extending UN auspices to cease-fire and armistice
agreements and stationing
UN forces between the adversaries.
Bibliography
Background Notes:
Israel Dec. 1998: SIRS Government Reporter. CD-ROM. SIRS
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Spring 1999. "Closing the Window on Peace." Mideast
Mirror April 2000:
ProQuest. Bell and Howell Proquest. Bishop O'Dowd High School
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April 2000.
Dubois, Jill. Israel. New York, 1995. "Israel and the
Occupied
Territories." U.S. Department of State 2000. 17 April
2000.
"Israel in the UN, uneasy relationship" Israel Embasy 2000 16
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2000.
Jones, Helen H. Israel. Chicago, 1986. Kurian, George
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Israel, a Country StuOy. DA: United State
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