Recent congressional hearings about the destruction, by Israel 's air force,

of a Syrian-North Korean nuclear facility, has shed light on the

mutually-beneficial nature of US-Israel relations. The Spetember 2007

Israeli military operation in Syria has dealt a setback to the Syria-North

Korea-Iran-Hizballah axis, while advancing US and Israeli interests. It has

bolstered US posture of deterrence, has extended US' strategic arm and has

provided the US with vital information to penetrate Russian air defense

systems, which are also employed by Iran . It has refuted the claim that

US-Israel relations have been shaped by political expediency.

Former Secretary of State and NATO Supreme Commander, General (ret.) Al

Haig refers to Israel as the largest, cost-effective, combat-experienced US

aircraft carrier that does not require US personnel, cannot be sunk and is

located in a most critical region for US national security interests.

In 1967, Israel defeated the pro-Soviet Egypt-Syria axis, which intended to

topple pro-US conservative oil-producing Arab regimes. In 1970, Israel

forced the rollback of a pro-Soviet Syrian invasion of pro-US Jordan ,

preventing a pro-Soviet "Domino Effect" into the Persian Gulf . The

1976,"Jonathan ( Entebbe ) Operation" inspired the US war on global

terrorism. In 1982, Israel destroyed Syrian-operated Soviet surface-to-air

missile

batteries, which were considered impregnable. Israel 's battle tactics and

technologies were shared with the US , thus tilting the global balance of

military and technological power in favor of the US . In 1981, Israel

destroyed Iraq 's nuclear reactor, providing the US with a conventional

option in 1991 and 2003, preventing a mega-billion dollar mega-casualties

nuclear war. In 2007, Israel shares with the US its unique experience of

combating Palestinian and Hizballah terrorism, which are the role model of

anti-US Islamic terrorism. An Israel-like ally in the Persian Gulf would

have spared the need to dispatch US troops to Kuwait , Saudi Arabia and

Iraq .

While the Win-Win US-Israel relationship has provided Israel with

indispensable critical support, it has enhanced US national and homeland

security, improving US intelligence-gathering, extending US deployment and

deterrence capabilities, providing the US with breakthrough commercial and

defense technologies, expanding US employment, research & development and

export and upgrading US healthcare and standard of living. Israel is a net

producer - not a net consumer - of national security.

During a March 15, 2007 Congressional testimony, General Bantz Craddock,

Commander of US European Command and NATO Supreme Al lied Commander,

stated: "Israel is a critical military partner in this difficult seam of the Middle

East... Israel is the US ' closest ally. It supports our interests through

security cooperation and understanding of US policy in the region."

During a May 10, 2006 Senate hearing, Lieutenant General Henry Trey

Obering, Director of the US Missile Defense Agency, testified that Israel

has been "The US has learned much from working collaboratively with the

Israelis. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Israel 's Arrow and the US Patriot

missile defense systems were deployed together to provide integrated

coverage."

Israel 's battle-tested experience in countering-terrorism, car bombs,

improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and homicide bombing has been shared

with US troops on their way to Iraq and Afghanistan , as well as with US

homeland security agencies, thus reducing US losses and minimizing

terrorism on US soil. Israeli-developed unmanned aerial vehicles have been

employed by US Marines in Afghanistan and Iraq , providing intelligence

otherwise unattainable, preempting terrorist strikes. The Israeli-developed

navigation guidance system Lightning Pod eliminated Al -Zarkawi, the arch

Al -Qaeda terrorist.

Israel 's battle-proven experience has been integrated - through battle

tactics and hardware modifications - into the US military, and defense

industries. For example, the F-16 includes over 600 Israeli modifications,

sparing the US a mega-billion dollar and a multi-year research &

development budget. A litany of state-of-the-art US military systems have

been upgraded in a similar manner, enhancing US national security and

defense industrial base. In fact, Israel 's employment of US military

systems has enticed many countries to buy American. Israel has been for the

US what Michael Jordan has been for Nike!

Israel constitutes a most productive battle-tested laboratory, providing

the US with vital data otherwise unobtainable, enhancing US security,

saving American lives, upgrading US battle doctrines, creating jobs and

increasing US exports.

Commercially, Israel 's high tech industry has developed the world's most

advanced microprocessors, chips, window operating systems, voice mail,

instant messaging and cellular technologies, coding and decoding devices,

medical devices and pharmaceuticals. Most of these technologies/products

have been integrated into the US industry, augmenting the well-being of

Americans, boosting US competitive edge in the global market and increasing

US employment.

Unlike all other Mideast countries, Israel has subordinated its

international relations to its ties with the US , as evidenced by Israel 's

perfect pro-US UN voting record. In the absence of Israel , the US would

have to deploy, to the eastern flank of the Mediterranean , aircraft

carriers and tens of thousands of US servicemen, costing scores of billions

of dollars annually, in order to replace Israel 's national security

contribution. US support of Israel has been a high-return US investment.

US-Israel win-win relations have been empowered by long-term

joint-interests and mutual-threats, rather than by short-term political

expediency, unmatched by any other set of bilateral relationships.