Israeli politicians who attack the US are playing with fire - The Jewish Chronicle

The bond between Israel and the US is nowhere more evident than in the skies. The Israeli Air Force is equipped almost entirely with American-made aircraft, from the sleek and stealthy F-35 to the formidable F-15 and F-16 fighters, the dependable C-130 transport planes, the lethal Apache attack helicopters, and the versatile Blackhawks.

Even the G550 Gulfstream jets, modified for intelligence gathering, hail from the US. The only exception is Israel’s trainer aircraft, which come from Italy. This reliance on American technology underscores a critical point: Israel’s ability to defend its airspace and project power relies heavily on continued American support. Consider, for a moment, the implications if the US decided to halt the delivery of spare parts to Israel during a conflict. Could the Israeli Air Force continue its operations? Could it defend the nation against threats or maintain its offensive against terrorist groups such as Hamas in the Gaza Strip or Hezbollah in Lebanon? Would it be able to project power to places even farther away, such as Yemen or Iran?

The stark reality is that without a steady supply of spare parts, no air force can function effectively over time. Wartime conditions and sustained combat operations exacerbate this dependency, as the increased pace of operations leads to accelerated wear and tear on equipment and increases the need for the steady supply of spare parts. This doesn’t even touch on the crucial munitions and bomb kits that a country at war like Israel needs to be able to strike at enemy targets with precision.

The strategic importance of these supplies cannot be overstated. If a future US administration wanted to curtail an Israeli military operation, the most straightforward approach would be to stop the shipment of spare parts. No one would need to even say anything. Just slowing down the pace of the delivery of the spare parts would ground the air force and effectively force the country to stop fighting. It would be that simple.

I bring this up because a troubling trend is emerging in Israel’s political landscape, driven by members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition. Some senior government officials are actively undermining the US-Israel alliance, painting President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris as anti-Israel and even antisemitic. They are publicly endorsing Donald Trump and inserting themselves dangerously into American politics.

Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli, for example, said in April that Biden was projecting weakness and that if he were an American he would vote for Trump. It was similar to what National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had expressed a few weeks earlier when he said in a US media interview that if Trump was in power Israel’s freedom of action in Gaza would be respected.

Then there is the campaign that has been circulating in recent weeks within the right-wing media in Israel aimed at Vice President Kamala Harris. Israeli pundits are issuing warnings that if elected president in November, Harris would pose an “existential threat” to Israel.

This is not only reckless, but it also poses a grave danger to Israel’s existence. Historically, Israeli prime ministers have prioritised safeguarding the relationship with Washington, understanding its critical role in national security and international diplomacy. They understood that the relationship needed to remain substantive and above politics. It needed to always rest on shared values and not interests which come and go and change with time.

Reflect on the aftermath of October 7. Imagine if Biden had not swiftly deployed two aircraft carrier strike groups to the region or delivered his resolute “Don’t” speech. While I have criticisms of some US policies, particularly concerning Iran, I shudder to think where Israel would be without the steadfast support of the US during such a critical and volatile time.

While Iran and Hezbollah still pose a threat and by the time you read this might have attacked Israel for the targeted killings in Tehran and Beirut last month, it’s clear that the deployment of US navy destroyers, aircraft carriers, submarines, fighter jet squadrons – including the powerful F-22 Raptor – and missile defence systems to the Middle East have influenced Iran’s strategic calculations. Reports suggest that Iran has tempered its planned actions due to fear of American retaliation.

Unfortunately, even this display of partnership and clear stance alongside Israel does not convince everyone that now is the time to stop playing with the Israel-US relationship. Some in the Israeli government believe that everything is fair game in politics, even risking the crucial relationship with Washington. They do this to project strength to their constituents, to show they can stand up to a US president. We’ve seen this tactic before during the tensions between Netanyahu and former President Barack Obama, and we are seeing it once again between Israel and Biden-Harris.

The notion that some Israelis perceive Biden as anti-Israel reveals a deep ignorance and amazing sense of ingratitude, reflecting a failure to grasp the dynamics that ensure Israel’s safety in such a volatile region. To meddle with this alliance now is not merely playing with fire; it’s playing with Israel’s very future. The stakes are too high, and the risks too great, to let political posturing endanger a partnership that has been a cornerstone of Israel’s security and success.

Yaakov Katz is a senior fellow at JPPI, a global think tank for the Jewish people, and the author of Shadow Strike: Inside Israel’s Secret Mission to Eliminate Syrian Nuclear Power and Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower

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Israeli Air Force

Israel Hamas War 2023