Gen. George Keegan, former chief of U.S. Air Force Intelligence, “I could not have procured the intelligence [received from Israel] with five CIAs.”
By Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp
Whether you like Jews and the Jewish state or not, Israel is an indispensable component of U.S. national security.
Israel’s defensive activities preserve multiple billions of dollars Washington would otherwise be obliged to spend; relieve the United States of the burden of having to maintain far greater combat forces and intelligence resources in the Middle East, also at vast expense; and save many American soldiers’ lives.
Former Israeli ambassador Yoram Ettinger, calculates that the $3.8 billion annual contribution to Israel’s defense yields an unprecedented annual return on investment of well over 1,000%.
The Israeli military battle‑tests advanced American weapons systems supplied to it, such as the F‑35 combat plane, enabling enhancements and development that improve U.S. global military capabilities without an American plane in the air, boot on the ground or shot fired.
That also goes for the evolution and refinement of tactical and operational techniques and procedures.
Several American military commanders and pilots in Israel during the war with Iran this year, all expressed how much benefit they gained from IDF experience and hard‑earned battlefield capability.
Add to that the immense advantages to the U.S. economy accrued through foreign‑weapons sales as a result of Israeli endorsement of combat equipment.
That applies to both public and private sector revenues and to significant employment generation from the boosts to arms sales.
Israel’s battle testing is not the result of unprovoked aggression; Israel has never started a war but has too often had to defend its people against attacks.
Israeli intelligence is just as much a multiplier of American capabilities as battle tactics and equipment development.
Jerusalem provides Washington with vital information on enemy weapons and technology capabilities, including nuclear proliferation and cyberwar—whether through combat, capture or covert exploitation—enhancing American countermeasures.
Israel, with unrivaled coverage of international jihadists, also shares vital pre‑emptive intelligence that has saved many American lives at home and around the world.
Ettinger quotes Gen. George Keegan, former chief of U.S. Air Force Intelligence, who said: “I could not have procured the intelligence [received from Israel] with five CIAs.”
One CIA costs about $15 billion per year, so if he’s anywhere near right, intelligence alone represents a massive return on that $3.8 billion annual investment.
No other ally comes close to the value Israel provides to America and the West’s collective defense.
Many U.S. allies also gain direct advantage. Germany, for example, is increasingly dependent on Israeli air‑defense systems; in September, its navy successfully test‑fired Israel’s LORA ballistic missile from a frigate in the North Atlantic.
The head of the German navy said the test “made naval history,” giving its warships a new long‑range precision‑strike capability.
Col. (ret.) Richard Kemp is a former commander of British forces in Afghanistan and veteran of multiple campaigns in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and Iraq, has spent decades studying allied military cooperation and the strategic value of reliable partners. His long career in counterterrorism and intelligence coordination gives weight to his assessment of Israel’s role in American security.
