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Note: ZOA does not endorse, recommend, or advise the public to vote for, or to not vote for any political candidate or party.
Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Director of Research and Special Projects Liz Berney, Esq. released the following statement:
The ZOA criticizes Vivek Ramaswamy’s urging reducing aid to Israel; downgrading the U.S.-Israel special relationship; and calling for giving equal aid to Israel’s neighbors. Ramaswamy’s statements ignored present-day Middle East realities; the enormous threats Israel faces today on multiple fronts; U.S. commitments to and benefits from our key ally Israel; and the historic, military, security and legal imperatives for U.S. cooperation with and support for Israel, and for Israel’s “qualitative military edge” (QME) over its neighbors.
Ramaswamy Ignored U.S. Commitments and the Enormity of Israel’s Contributions and Sacrifices: Although Ramaswamy briefly acknowledged that “our relationship with Israel has advanced American interests,” Ramaswamy then incongruously asserted that Israel should not receive preferential treatment from the United States. Ramaswamy ignored U.S. commitments to its ally, Israel, for which Israel gave more than it received; downplayed the enormity of Israel’s contributions to U.S. security and Middle East stability; and ignored that the U.S. must keep its commitments in order for nations throughout the world to trust America’s word in the future. U.S. commitments to Israel include:
- In 2015, Obama administration officials assured Jewish leaders that the $150 billion of sanctions relief given to Iran would be countered by increased military aid to Israel. (The ensuing MOU increased aid by $0.8 billion from the previous $3 billion per year, but due to inflation and increased threats that necessitated higher Israeli defense budgets, the Obama 10-year MOU reduced U.S. aid from 18.5% of Israel’s defense budget in 2016 to 16% of Israel’s defense budget in 2023. The Obama MOU also phased out the previous provisions allowing Israel to spend up to 26.3% of the assistance in Israel.)
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In order to procure the Israel-Egyptian peace treaty (which President Carter negotiated on Egypt’s behalf on terms that were unfavorable to Israel) and convince Israel to give up the Sinai, early warning stations, airfields, Jewish settlements in northern Sinai, the Alma Oil Fields developed by Israel and billions of dollars of infrastructure), the U.S. guaranteed Israel’s oil supply and made defense commitments to Israel. Congress further found that those commitments served U.S. national interests. 22 USC Ch. 49, §3401 et. seq.
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Since 2008, pursuant to U.S. law (22 USC § 2776(h)), the U.S. has guaranteed Israel’s qualitative military edge.
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Since 1987, the U.S. has designated Israel as a “major non-NATO ally” (MNNA). 22 U.S.C. § 2321k(b). MMNA status provides MMNA nations with defense trade and security cooperation benefits.
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Even the hostile Obama administration State Department acknowledged in 2011 the enormous contributions to U.S. security provided by U.S.-Israeli military cooperation and assistance. This included learning from Israel’s counterterrorism experience; using Israeli armor plating equipment on U.S. vehicles; using Israeli bandages to treat U.S. troops; and using Israeli sensor, UAV and other advanced technologies. The State Department concluded that “ensuring Israel’s military strength and its superiority in the region, is therefore critical to regional stability and as a result is fundamentally a core interest of the United States.” (“Ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge,” Address by Andrew Shapiro, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. State Dep’t Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Nov. 17, 2021, White House Archive.) Since then, Israel has also been “providing the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) with full access to what had been proprietary [Israeli] Iron Dome technology.” (CRS 2023 report.)
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