The Israel-US Relations 2022 Strategic Summit - Trends and Looking Ahead

Last month (Nov 14), about 200 guests from Israel and the United States, including senior officials in the security system, participated in an emergency conference, "Israel-US relations, trends and Looking Ahead" which was held in Tel Aviv and was initiated by the Reut Group in cooperation with the INSS and the Israel Institute for Economic Planning led by Yossi Hollander. 

For full videos (including subtitles)  of the panels and speakers from the Summit click here

Israel's President Yitzhak Herzog: "The attitude of the younger generation in the US is changing before our eyes and presents us with a huge challenge. They are affected by overt and covert anti-Semitism and anti-Semitism on campuses," he said at a conference this week that dealt with the dangers for Israel's security concerning Israel-United States relations. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of American-Jewish Organizations: "Israel's security does not depend only on Israel's ability to protect itself, but also on the ability of American Jews to take care of it. Jews must prevent Israel-US relations from becoming one the polarizing issues between the parties."

"There is indifference and ignorance in the general public and, unfortunately, among decision-makers. But these scenarios can take place with a probability of 70%-80%, maybe within a year or two," said Yossi Hollander, one of the conference's organizers and founder of the Israel Institute for Economic Planning. Hollander added, "The day the US does not veto the UN, we will become South Africa. Zero investments in Israeli hi-tech, the stopping of flights. It is a political Yom Kippur, and no reserve force will help us once that happens."

At the conference, Eran Shayshon, CEO of Reut Group, said: "A central cornerstone of Israel's national security strategy is the strong military, economic and diplomatic support of the United States. The erosion of American support for Israel could seriously harm the national security of the State of Israel. We don't have the privilege to close our eyes, so we gathered a series of senior officials from Israel and the US who support these assessments."

Shayshon also said, "Long-term trends in American society, government, media, and education have been accelerating in recent years and threaten the long-standing support of the United States. For years Israel's leaders emphasized the importance of Israel being a bi-partisan issue in the United States. The Democratic Party's unconditional support for Israel is being undermined. It is no longer a consensus. Israel must take these developments seriously, which have been receiving inexplicable indifference for years." 

The former Consul of Israel in New York, Danny Dayan, said at the event: "The question discussed on the college campuses is not Israel's borders and the '67 issue. The question is about 1948 and the State of Israel's right to exist. Today they are on the campuses; tomorrow, these young people serve in key positions on Wall Street and the press." 

Tamir Hayman, former head of the National Security Agency and now the CEO of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), participated in a panel that dealt with the impact on Israel's national security. Hayman warned that Israel should also prepare for a scenario without American support in international forums, even if the military support continues. "Within five to ten years, the US support will be in danger," he clarified, emphasizing that without a change in strategy, it will be challenging to deal with such a scenario.

"Israel's security does not depend only on Israel's ability to protect itself, but also on the ability of American Jews to take care of it. There is already a trend in the House of Representatives - anti-Iron Dome funding and anti-visa exemption. American support is critical to Israel's security, so there is no choice but to understand public opinion to strengthen the relationship between the countries." said William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of American-Jewish Organizations, and added, "Jews must prevent Israel-US relations from becoming one the polarizing issues between the parties."

Media publications about the Strategy Summit:

• The Jerusalem Post - Campus activism is anti-two states, pro-erasing Israel - Brandeis Center

• The Times of Israel - In rare critique, top US Jewish leader warns against proposed limit on Law of Return

• Jewish News Syndicate - A breakable alliance? Israeli conference spotlights worrying socio-political trends in US

• Israel Hayom - Dershowitz warns Israel needs 'doomsday strategy' to prepare for scenario US backing ends