Last week at the Brookings Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Andrew Shapiro, the United States’ Assistant Secretary for Political Military Affairs spoke on the Israeli-American security cooperation. According to Shapiro, “[America's] security relationship with Israel is broader, deeper and more intense than ever before.”

Mr. Shapiro outlined the four pillars in which the United States ensures Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge (QME). “Israel’s QME is its ability to counter and defeat credible military threats from any individual state, coalition of states, or non-state actor, while sustaining minimal damages or casualties. The Obama Administration has demonstrated its commitment to Israel’s QME by not only sustaining and building upon practices established by prior administrations, but also undertaking new initiatives to make our security relationship more intimate than ever before,” said Shapiro.

The first pillar is security assistance. In keeping in line with decades of assistance, the Obama administration requested more money for Israel in the Fiscal Year 2010, $2.775 billion USD, than any previous administration in history. While every country that receives funds through what is called the Foreign Military Financing program is required to spend all of its funds back in the United States, Israel is the sole exception.

The second pillar Mr. Shapiro described is joint training and military exercises. In fact, last fall’s JUPITER COBRA 2010 missile defense exercise involved over 1,000 American troops, making it the largest U.S.-Israeli exercise in history.

The third way the United States helps preserves Israel’s edge over its enemies is the government-to-government Foreign Military Sales program and Direct Commercial Sales, including releasing advanced products restricted to only the closest of allies and partners.

The fourth pillar is cooperation in research and development. All of these things are far from a one way street. For example, American military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan use Israeli-originated equipment and gear every day.

The U.S. State Department’s Andrew Shapiro makes it clear in the video below that the Obama Administration’s commitment to Israel is “more than just a continuation and strengthening of existing policies.”

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