Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer recently engaged in discussions with Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the head of the Mossad, David Barnea, to secure their support for his proposal to establish a defense alliance with the US.This information was revealed by three Israeli and American sources who are well-versed in the matter.
Why is this significant?
Without the backing of key figures in the defense establishment, particularly the chief of staff, advancing such an initiative will prove to be extremely challenging. Over the years, the defense establishment, particularly the IDF, has opposed the idea of entering into a defense alliance with the US due to concerns that it might constrain Israel’s ability to conduct preemptive military operations in the Middle East.The issue is expected to be on the agenda during the meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden in New York on Wednesday.
Behind the scenes
During these discussions, Dermer clarified to the chief of staff and the head of the Mossad that the proposed alliance would be relatively narrow in scope, addressing only existential threats such as an Iranian nuclear threat, unconventional weapons attacks by regional actors, or highly extreme escalation scenarios.
The bigger picture
Dermer emphasized that such an agreement would meticulously define each scenario, ensuring that it does not limit Israel’s capacity for routine military operations.Dermer first introduced the proposal during talks he held with Biden’s advisers at the White House in mid-August. He suggested that this alliance could complement the broader deal the US is pursuing with Saudi Arabia and Israel, alongside the separate defense alliance that Saudi Arabia is seeking for itself.However, two American sources reported that the president’s advisers did not express enthusiasm about the idea and argued that addressing it at this time could complicate negotiations with Saudi Arabia and divert attention from efforts to foster normalization between the countries.One of the American sources added that the historical resistance from Israeli security establishment leaders to the notion of a defense alliance had not encouraged the American administration to move forward with such an initiative.Dermer believes that a shift in the security establishment’s position and support could potentially alter the White House’s stance on this matter. The American source mentioned that Gen. Tal Kelman, head of the IDF’s Planning Directorate, recently engaged with senior US officials and refrained from outright rejecting Dermer’s proposal, noting that the IDF would thoroughly assess any such proposals when presented.
A reminder
Netanyahu and Dermer had previously attempted to advance a defense alliance agreement between Israel and the US. In 2019, they held discussions on the topic with senior officials in the Trump administration. Many figures in the Israeli security establishment, including former chiefs of staff Gadi Eisenkot, Gabi Ashkenazi, and Benny Gantz, voiced their opposition to the idea, believing it could restrict the IDF’s operational freedom in the region.Dermer claimed in 2019 that then-chief of staff Aviv Kohavi supported the concept. In September 2019, just before Israel’s elections, president Donald Trump tweeted about his conversation with Netanyahu on the possibility of pursuing a defense alliance agreement, which was perceived as an attempt to aid Netanyahu’s election bid.However, Netanyahu did not win the election, and the idea was set aside. Following Netanyahu’s return to the Prime Minister’s Office, Dermer renewed his efforts to promote the alliance, even briefly mentioning it during his phone conversation with Biden in mid-July.The IDF and Dermer’s office have not responded to these reports.