US

1
US Israel

• Commitment to Israel's security and well-being
  has been a cornerstone of U.S. policy in Middle
  East since Israel's creation in 1948, in which US
  played a key supporting role - hostility within
  Truman administration about granting recognition
• End Cold War initially had a major impact on
  Middle East with reduction in Israels strategic
  importance

2
A State at war

• 1948-49 Israeli war of independence
• Suez crisis of 1956 - opposed by US
• June 1967, Israeli struck targets in Egypt,
  Jordan, and Syria in response to Egyptian ordered
  withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from the Sinai
  Peninsula and the build up of Arab armies along
  Israel's borders
• 22 Nov 1967, the UN Security Council adopted
  Resolution 242, the "land for peace" formula

3
A State at war

• October 6, 1973 - Yom Kippur, Syria and Egypt
  launch attack against Israel, are driven back
  beyond 1967 cease-fire lines
• 1978 - Israeli-Egyptian peace summit brokered by
  Carter administration
• June 1982 - Israel invade Lebanon - some troops
  remain in South Lebanon after 1985, withdrawn
  completely in 2000
• October 1994, Israel and Jordan sign a historic
  peace treaty brokered by Clinton

4
US Israel

• US provides approx 3 billion per year to Israel
  in security assistance.
• In 1983, the United States and Israel set up the
  Joint Political Military Group
• Participate in joint military planning and
  combined exercises, and have collaborated on
  military research and weapons development.

5
US Israel

• An aim of Gulf war was the achievement of a new
  economic security order in the Middle East
• Would encompass Arab-Israeli reconciliation, role
  for both Iraq Iran
• U.S. efforts to reach a Middle East peace
  settlement are based on UN Security Council
  Resolutions 242, 338

6
US Israel

• U.N. Security Council Resolution 242November 22,
  1967was to become the cornerstone of Middle East
  diplomatic efforts in the coming decades.
• U.N. Security Council Resolution 338October 22,
  1973 aimed at establishing a just and durable
  peace in the Middle East

7
US Israel

• Madrid 1991
• Oslo 1993
• Oslo II 1995
• Hebron Accord, January 1997
• Camp Wye accords, October 1998
• Wye was much more US driven than any previous
  accord especially in supervisory committees - US
  deal with both Israel PA, US a participant a
  judge

8
US Israel

• Israeli-PLO peace accords since Madrid summit
  1991 led initially to to a realignment of
  relations between US Syria
• Brought together for the first time Israel, the
  Palestinians, and the neighbouring Arab
  countries, launching a series of direct bilateral
  and multilateral negotiations.

9
US Israel

• Clinton view that as Israel took calculated risks
  for peace, it was the role of the US to minimise
  those risks
• Economic element to this Oil markets for US -
  roughly 40 of US aid under Clinton went to
  Israel Egypt
• Geo-political domestic reasons also

10
US Israel

• Issues to be resolved after Wye
• Status of Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees,
  Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza,
  final security arrangements, borders, and
  relations and co-operation with neighboring
  states
• All were discussed all failed to produce an
  agreement

11
US Israel

• Since Sept 11 noticeable hardening of US attitude
  to Middle East
• Clintonian search for compromise replaced by a
  more overtly pro-Israeli attitude
• Can be seen by USs attitude to Arab states in
  the region

12
US Israel

• Syria's participation in Gulf war ended its years
  of isolation
• Gave it access to substantial European, Japanese,
  and Gulf financial resources estimated at 500 ml
  annually from 1990-92
• Now criticised by Bush administration as a
  harbour for terrorists

13
The roadmap to peace?

• April 2003 Quartet roadmap (US, UN, EU Russia)
  - aim for a two state solution
• June 2003 Bush held a trilateral Red Sea summit
  with Sharon and Abbas - stated both sides had to
  make tangible progress
• Problem remains complicated by the s-called War
  on Terror
• Jewish lobby still far more influential than the
  multitude of Arab lobbyists in US

14
US Israel at the UN

• US has not been afraid to use its veto in the UN
  in relation to Israel
• From 1945-2003, used veto 76 times - first veto
  used by Richard Nixon
• Used its veto unilaterally on 53 occasions
• 6 of last 7 vetoes have been to do with Israel
• Can be accused of ignoring 242 338