Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger | “Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative” | January 5, 2026
*The US makes an annual investment of $3.8bn in – not foreign aid to – Israel, which yields an outsized Return-on-Investment.
*US Export and employment Multiplier. In 2018, Israel was the first to use the F-35 operationally, while US experts doomed the F-35 to failure. However, the Israeli battle-tested laboratory, jointly with Lockheed-Martin, overcame critical glitches, upgrading performance and contributing (in 2025) to $40bn in exports, $72bn of annual economic output and a $173bn backlog, along with 290,000 employees involved in the F-35 program (including subcontractors). This economic output generates billions of dollars of corporate and personal income tax to the US Treasury.
*R & D Bonanza. Israel shares daily operational lessons from US military systems with the manufacturers, saving 10-20 years of mega billions of dollars in R & D (R & D cost of F-35 totals $55bn), while upgrading systems, enhancing competitiveness and expanding export and employment.
*Showroom of US military systems. Israel’s wars and counter-terrorism demonstrate US defense industries’ effectiveness. Israel’s June 2025 air offensive against Iran – featuring 200 US-made F-35, F-16 and F-15 – highlighted the superiority of US combat aircraft, increasing exports. It exposed the vulnerabilities of Russian and Chinese air defenses, thus tilting the global balance of power in favor of the US.
*Battle tactics innovation center. The formulation of US battle tactics (air, ground and naval) leverages Israel’s war and counter-terrorism experience. For example, US Special Operations benefit from Israel’s experience in tackling car bombs, suicide bombers and IEDs.
*Critical Intelligence. According to former Chief of US Air Force Intelligence, General George Keegan, the intelligence provided by Israel would require “5 CIAs” to procure independently. The annual budget of one CIA is about $15bn (400% R-o-I on $3.8bn).
*Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, former Chief of Naval Operations, and General Alexander Haig, former Nato Supreme Commander and US Secretary of State, both stated that Israel replaces multiple US aircraft carriers and ground divisions in the Mediterranean-Red Sea-Indian Ocean-Persian Gulf area – the platform of 48% of global oil reserves, the epicenter of anti-US Islamic terrorism and critical shipping lanes between Asia and the West. Manufacturing a single aircraft carrier costs $10bn-$13bn (340% R-o-I) and deploying one ground division to the Middle East costs $1bn.
*Largest US military beachhead with no US soldiers for a $3.8bn annual investment, compared to $35bn and 80,000 US soldiers in Europe.
*Unique force-multiplier for the US. In June 2025, Israel neutralized Iran’s air defenses and air force; thus, facilitating the unimpeded US bombing of Iran’s nuclear installations. In 2024, Israel devastated Hezbollah, which facilitated the toppling of the pro-Russia Assad, opening the door for a major US strategic posture in Syria. In 2007, Israel destroyed Syria’s nuclear reactor, sparing humanity the cost of a nuclearized civil war in Syria. In 1981, Israel destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor, snatching the US’ Arab allies from the jaws of Saddam Hussein, sparing the US a potential nuclear Gulf War in 1991. In 1976, Israel’s Jonathan (Entebbe) Operation added tailwind to the 1977 establishment of the Delta Force, inspiring US counter-terrorism. Israel’s victory in the 1973 Yom Kippur War convinced Egypt to switch from the Soviet, to the US, bloc. Israel’s victory in the 1967 War aborted Egypt’s drive (in cooperation with the USSR) to topple all pro-US Arab oil-producing regimes, at a time when the US was highly dependent on Persian Gulf oil.
*Contrary to other US allies, Israel’s unwavering alliance is based on a solid pro-US consensus (Left and Right, secular and religious).
*US-Israel cooperation constitutes a mutually-beneficial two-way-street, yielding the highest ever R-o-I on US investments.
There are “certain people” in the US who should be forced to memorize this, and who will be tested on its content…