Israel provides the United States with some of the U.S.’ most valuable and enduring strategic assets — a combat-proven testing ground for advanced U.S. military technology, a source of critical real-time intelligence, and a hub of defense innovation. Beyond shared democratic values, with these assets, Israel continuously strengthens American industries. These contributions save the United States billions of dollars annually, offsetting — and in many years exceeding — the cost of U.S. aid to Israel.
For the U.S., Israel is a forward operating asset — providing military reach, intelligence coverage, and deterrence in a region critical to global energy and security — all without the costs or political risks of deploying tens of thousands of personnel. According to Maj. Gen. George P. Keegan, former head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence, “The U.S. would have to create five CIAs to replicate what Israel provides in intelligence.” Israeli intelligence contributions have directly shaped U.S. counterterrorism policy, early warnings of Soviet and Iranian arms proliferation, and monitoring of jihadist networks across the Middle East.
Beyond defense, Israel’s high-tech ecosystem — second only to Silicon Valley in startups per capita — fuels innovation partnerships with American firms in cybersecurity, AI, healthcare, and clean energy. U.S. companies such as Google, Microsoft, Intel, and Lockheed Martin all operate major R&D centers in Israel, exporting advances that feed back into U.S. industries.