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"retrieved": "2020-05-19T13:35:10.570751", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations.\nIsraeli unity government, possible West Bank annexation, and COVID-19. In May 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his main political rival Benny Gantz formed a unity government, bringing an end to a long political stalemate in Israel that had continued through three elections in April 2019, September 2019, and March 2020. Netanyahu and Gantz cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to address its public health, economic, and other implications for Israel as a major reason for their agreement. By accepting a unity government, Gantz departed from his campaign pledge not to join with Netanyahu, who is scheduled to begin a criminal trial on corruption charges on May 24. While the agreement provides for Gantz to rotate into the position of prime minister by November 2021, and appears to give him broad powers of approval over the government\u2019s actions, his choice to join Netanyahu split his Kahol Lavan party and might leave Netanyahu with an overall political advantage. \nArguably, the most significant aspect of the Netanyahu-Gantz deal for U.S. policy is its explicit authorization of a cabinet and Knesset vote on annexing West Bank territory\u2014in coordination with the United States\u2014after July 1, 2020 (see more on the issue\u2019s significance below). U.S. officials have said that any U.S. approval for Israeli annexation of West Bank areas would come after a U.S.-Israel committee (established under the Trump Administration peace plan discussed below) can pinpoint areas earmarked for eventual Israeli sovereignty. \nIsraeli-Palestinian issues: The Trump plan and possible annexation. President Trump has expressed interest in helping resolve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His policies, however, have largely sided with Israeli positions, thus alienating Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. On January 28, 2020, the President released a long-promised peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians. The plan appears to favor Israeli positions on core issues of dispute such as borders and settlements, the status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, security, and Palestinian refugees. The Palestinians would face significant domestic difficulties in taking the steps that the plan prescribes for them to qualify for statehood. \nSome say the possible West Bank annexation that the U.S. plan appears to accept under certain conditions could provoke international opposition, worsen Israeli-Palestinian tensions, and affect relations with neighboring Jordan. Annexation may be contrary to international law and some Members of Congress oppose it. Responses by Congress or other U.S. actors could depend on various factors, including how closely any annexation might be coordinated with the Administration, and responses from Palestinians, Arab states, and other international actors.\nU.S.-Israel security cooperation. While Israel maintains robust military and homeland security capabilities, it also cooperates closely with the United States on national security matters. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. \nIran and other regional issues. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly supported President Trump\u2019s withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 international agreement that constrained Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. Facing intensified U.S. sanctions, Iran has reduced its compliance with the 2015 agreement. U.S.-Iran tensions have led to greater regional uncertainty, with implications for Israel. Israel has reportedly conducted a number of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon against Iran and its allies due to concerns about Iran\u2019s efforts to establish a permanent presence in these areas and to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of Lebanese Hezbollah\u2019s missile arsenal.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "548a9f6c70405597a5b91f300312cc0cd8c36eec", "filename": "files/20200518_R44245_548a9f6c70405597a5b91f300312cc0cd8c36eec.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/11.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_d215bbf13ef9ec27cf7051250c364a3532ea3e56.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/14.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_90559dd882ce77e752af99ac9bd666e053faafc3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_ad99d045b44fa2fc5145a0dc580543df45eb8427.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_c88f3638fc840ae730152c138aeb08fc998aae4c.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/12.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_9f89b661643404dc6d0b7f8f5e9de8b2b6e5c166.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_696597aedb129c683bde4384ac5fbc9b70d0c143.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/15.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_d0fa557cb09bef82dee20174103268117bbbbd41.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_ac515cf53dc8491e9f4cf415c6be5786028c15e8.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_0d1e1ec19e907dd7a24ed7fcf1a55e022c87b20d.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_0dee69ebed2f3721ef197535cdc6728bba9dc7e4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/13.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_a0da64fc1506f2051b4f0540f0107fb41a21dafc.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20200518_R44245_images_05da49bd27d25c1c24a0c5f0472784a907941c07.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "311307171b2d0019fa02e4eee34abe08d74cc20a", "filename": "files/20200518_R44245_311307171b2d0019fa02e4eee34abe08d74cc20a.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 619129, "date": "2020-03-09", "retrieved": "2020-03-09T22:03:44.865154", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations.\nDomestic issues. Will Netanyahu remain prime minister? On March 2, 2020, Israel held its third election in the past year\u2014a development unprecedented in the country\u2019s history. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu\u2019s Likud party won the most votes, despite criminal indictments against Netanyahu for corruption. However, the bloc of parties that are his traditional coalition allies fell three votes short of a Knesset majority. Netanyahu\u2019s main political rival Benny Gantz, of the Kahol Lavan party, may have enough support from parties opposing Netanyahu to have the first chance to form a government. This support could lead to a bill preventing Netanyahu from forming a government\u2014due to the indictments he faces\u2014though the legislation might not take effect until another election takes place. Ending Israel\u2019s political stalemate could depend on whether Avigdor Lieberman of the right-of-center, pro-secular Yisrael Beitenu party is willing to join a Gantz-led government that receives outside support from the Arab-led Joint List. \nIf Netanyahu forms the next government, he may pursue initiatives that could reduce the independence of Israel\u2019s judiciary and lead to West Bank annexation. It is unclear how a Likud-Kahol Lavan unity government or a government without Netanyahu might approach these issues. It is also unclear whether, under Israeli law, Netanyahu could annex West Bank territory while acting in a caretaker capacity.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues and the Trump peace plan. President Trump has expressed interest in helping resolve the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His policies, however, have largely sided with Israeli positions, thus alienating Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. On January 28, 2020, the President released a long-promised peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians. The plan appears to favor Israeli positions on core issues of dispute such as borders and settlements, the status of Jerusalem and its holy sites, security, and Palestinian refugees. The Palestinians would face significant domestic difficulties in taking the steps that the plan proposes for them to qualify for statehood. \nProspects for negotiations based on the U.S. plan appear relatively dim given strong Palestinian opposition and Netanyahu\u2019s announced intention to annex parts of the West Bank. U.S. officials have said that any U.S. approval for Israeli annexation of West Bank areas would come after a U.S.-Israel committee can pinpoint areas earmarked for eventual Israeli sovereignty. West Bank annexation could provoke international opposition and affect regional stability, including in neighboring Jordan. Arab states could influence developments on Israeli-Palestinian issues, although their positions have varied by country and over time.\nIsraeli clashes with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip periodically escalate, but Israel and the Sunni Islamist group Hamas (a U.S.-designated terrorist organization) have continued indirect talks toward a long-term cease-fire.\nIsrael\u2019s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths\u2014including regional military superiority\u2014to manage potential threats to its security, including evolving asymmetric threats. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. \nIran and other regional issues. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly supported President Trump\u2019s withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 international agreement that constrained Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. Facing intensified U.S. sanctions, Iran has reduced its compliance with the 2015 agreement. U.S.-Iran tensions have led to greater regional uncertainty, with implications for Israel. Israel has reportedly conducted a number of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon against Iran and its allies due to concerns about Iran\u2019s efforts to establish a permanent presence in these areas and to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of Lebanese Hezbollah\u2019s missile arsenal.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "d667cf77ffbd88d9dbccd6a38510e31df8e5538b", "filename": "files/20200309_R44245_d667cf77ffbd88d9dbccd6a38510e31df8e5538b.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/11.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_90559dd882ce77e752af99ac9bd666e053faafc3.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_7b9bcde26a8f65dc9d6d991324ce87f71ee45d4a.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/12.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_d0fa557cb09bef82dee20174103268117bbbbd41.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_3566f96a82e554af9b63683e91b05f492de301fa.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_d215bbf13ef9ec27cf7051250c364a3532ea3e56.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_ac515cf53dc8491e9f4cf415c6be5786028c15e8.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_8babb7b53c67c2f0e630cbc088b29fb0c53cf74f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_a0da64fc1506f2051b4f0540f0107fb41a21dafc.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20200309_R44245_images_0d1e1ec19e907dd7a24ed7fcf1a55e022c87b20d.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "90dba38407879564a995f04eac3d2cdcd8b5c06d", "filename": "files/20200309_R44245_90dba38407879564a995f04eac3d2cdcd8b5c06d.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 610902, "date": "2019-12-06", "retrieved": "2019-12-13T15:04:27.379745", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations.\nDomestic issues: multiple elections and Netanyahu indictments. Israel has held two Knesset elections in 2019, in April and September, but\u2014in a development unprecedented in the country\u2019s history\u2014neither election has led to the formation of a new government. If no new government forms by December 11, another round of elections would probably take place in February or March 2020. This stalemate has occurred within the context of corruption allegations against Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who was formally indicted in November 2019. While one public opinion poll indicates that around one-third of Israelis believe that Netanyahu should resign, he is not legally required to do so while his cases remain pending, and his Likud party continues to poll competitively. The political stalemate fuels speculation among observers about how Israel\u2019s adversaries may seek to take advantage of the resulting domestic uncertainty, and how Israel\u2019s leaders may respond to threats.\nIsrael\u2019s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths\u2014including regional conventional military superiority\u2014to manage potential threats to its security, including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In the past year, U.S. officials have expressed some security-related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity.\nIran and other regional issues. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Netanyahu strongly supported President Trump\u2019s withdrawal of the United States from the 2015 international agreement that constrained Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. Facing intensified U.S. sanctions, Iran has reduced its compliance with the 2015 agreement by renewing uranium enrichment efforts, leading Israeli officials to call for more concerted international action to discourage these efforts. Israel has reportedly conducted a number of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon against Iran and its allies due to concerns about Iran\u2019s efforts to establish a permanent presence in these areas and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of Hezbollah\u2019s missile arsenal. Israeli officials reportedly assess that Iran feels emboldened given U.S. restraint in response to reported Iranian military operations in the region, such as the September 2019 attack on key oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. In the context of ongoing uncertainty in Syria, President Trump recognized Israel\u2019s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights in March 2019, changing long-standing U.S. policy that held\u2014in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 from 1981\u2014the Golan was occupied Syrian territory whose final status was subject to Israel-Syria negotiation.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. The prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. U.S.-Palestinian tensions have since worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and other diplomatic moves. The Administration claims it has prepared a plan that proposes specific solutions on the core issues of the conflict, but has repeatedly postponed the release of the plan. Before elections in both April and September, Netanyahu pledged to annex parts of the West Bank in a new government, and U.S. official statements on settlements could affect future Israeli decisions. In the context of a stalled peace process, Israeli clashes with Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip periodically escalate, but Israel and Hamas have continued indirect talks toward a long-term cease-fire.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "fe761f288510c59d13c2dab711208179259c6042", "filename": "files/20191206_R44245_fe761f288510c59d13c2dab711208179259c6042.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_d215bbf13ef9ec27cf7051250c364a3532ea3e56.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_c8f03582a487691627fd6509ba55dba71220322b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_7b9bcde26a8f65dc9d6d991324ce87f71ee45d4a.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_bb2065e3720f4c0f50c3145dffe7727108f255ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_74c7a2b204c84ab1e8bd74dffdcc60098fefb78e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_0565d8ddb0550cb31b23031709285c7de69c544e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20191206_R44245_images_1802d33bd99103c0e78e6326495777b6ddbc03ab.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "e61b9b4c687b2e20bb8b592afbe4b3337eb4f8f7", "filename": "files/20191206_R44245_e61b9b4c687b2e20bb8b592afbe4b3337eb4f8f7.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 605428, "date": "2019-09-20", "retrieved": "2019-10-10T22:28:15.052710", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations:\nIsrael\u2019s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths\u2014including regional conventional military superiority\u2014to manage potential threats to its security, including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security-related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity.\nIran and the region. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran\u2019s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive. The presentation came days before President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that constrained Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. Israel has reportedly conducted a number of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon against Iran and its allies due to concerns about Iran\u2019s efforts to establish a permanent presence in these areas and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of Hezbollah\u2019s missile arsenal. Israel-Iran tensions increased somewhat during summer 2019 amid international concerns over the security of Persian Gulf energy commerce and questions about possible U.S.-Iran conflict. In the context of ongoing uncertainty in Syria, in March 2019 President Trump recognized Israel\u2019s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights, changing long-standing U.S. policy that held\u2014in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 from 1981\u2014the Golan was occupied Syrian territory whose final status was subject to Israel-Syria negotiation.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. The prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. U.S.-Palestinian tensions have since worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and diplomatic moves\u2014including the May 2018 opening of the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The Administration claims it has prepared a plan that proposes specific solutions on the core issues of the conflict, but has repeatedly postponed the release of the plan. Palestinian leaders are wary of possible U.S. attempts to pressure them by economic means into difficult political concessions. While Israel may count on warming ties with Arab Gulf states over Iran to carry over into Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, these states\u2019 leaders maintain explicit support for a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem. In August 2019, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) took initial measures aimed at relieving a PA fiscal crisis surrounding the transfer of revenues that Israel collects on the PA\u2019s behalf. Before the September 17, 2019, elections, Netanyahu pledged to annex parts of the West Bank if he was reelected as prime minister.\nDomestic issues: government formation after elections. Following the September 17 elections, the outcome of what could be a weeks-long government formation process looks unclear. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will probably assign either Prime Minister Netanyahu from the Likud party or Benny Gantz from the Kahol Lavan party to form a government. Some observers assert that a \u201cunity government\u201d might be more likely than other outcomes, perhaps reducing Netanyahu\u2019s ability to pursue initiatives mooted during the campaign. Avigdor Lieberman from the Yisrael Beitenu party could exercise significant influence on the process. Meanwhile, a pre-indictment hearing on corruption charges against Netanyahu is scheduled to take place on October 2.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "f0f09beab09f370814a520868bf3828631a4b423", "filename": "files/20190920_R44245_f0f09beab09f370814a520868bf3828631a4b423.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_d215bbf13ef9ec27cf7051250c364a3532ea3e56.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_c8f03582a487691627fd6509ba55dba71220322b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_7b9bcde26a8f65dc9d6d991324ce87f71ee45d4a.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_bb2065e3720f4c0f50c3145dffe7727108f255ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_e7d9a6b40cc3c0d033d111a0943a0b9a6998f0fa.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_0565d8ddb0550cb31b23031709285c7de69c544e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20190920_R44245_images_1802d33bd99103c0e78e6326495777b6ddbc03ab.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "7b09d0dcca9aa34367c5de071ef405d063212744", "filename": "files/20190920_R44245_7b09d0dcca9aa34367c5de071ef405d063212744.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 605169, "date": "2019-09-18", "retrieved": "2019-09-18T22:04:16.266870", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations:\nIsrael\u2019s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths\u2014including regional conventional military superiority\u2014to manage potential threats to its security, including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security-related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity.\nIran and the region. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran\u2019s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive. The presentation came days before President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that constrained Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. Israel has reportedly conducted a number of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon against Iran and its allies due to concerns about Iran\u2019s efforts to establish a permanent presence in these areas and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of Hezbollah\u2019s missile arsenal. Israel-Iran tensions increased somewhat during summer 2019 amid international concerns over the security of Persian Gulf energy commerce and questions about possible U.S.-Iran conflict. In the context of ongoing uncertainty in Syria, in March 2019 President Trump recognized Israel\u2019s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights, changing long-standing U.S. policy that held\u2014in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 from 1981\u2014the Golan was occupied Syrian territory whose final status was subject to Israel-Syria negotiation.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. The prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. U.S.-Palestinian tensions have since worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and diplomatic moves\u2014including the May 2018 opening of the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The Administration claims it has prepared a plan that proposes specific solutions on the core issues of the conflict, but has repeatedly postponed the release of the plan. Palestinian leaders are wary of possible U.S. attempts to pressure them by economic means into difficult political concessions. While Israel may count on warming ties with Arab Gulf states over Iran to carry over into Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, these states\u2019 leaders maintain explicit support for a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem. In August 2019, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) took initial measures aimed at relieving a PA fiscal crisis surrounding the transfer of revenues that Israel collects on the PA\u2019s behalf. Before the September 17, 2019, elections, Netanyahu pledged to annex parts of the West Bank if he was reelected as prime minister.\nDomestic issues: government formation after elections. Following the September 17 elections, the outcome of what could be a weeks-long government formation process looks unclear. Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will probably assign either Prime Minister Netanyahu from the Likud party or Benny Gantz from the Kahol Lavan party to form a government. Some observers assert that a \u201cunity government\u201d might be more likely than other outcomes, perhaps reducing Netanyahu\u2019s ability to pursue initiatives mooted during the campaign. Avigdor Lieberman from the Yisrael Beitenu party could exercise significant influence on the process. Meanwhile, a pre-indictment hearing on corruption charges against Netanyahu is scheduled to take place on October 2.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "ffec184856cbeb0a46c1aecafb9cb9823a0cc675", "filename": "files/20190918_R44245_ffec184856cbeb0a46c1aecafb9cb9823a0cc675.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_d215bbf13ef9ec27cf7051250c364a3532ea3e56.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_c8f03582a487691627fd6509ba55dba71220322b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_7b9bcde26a8f65dc9d6d991324ce87f71ee45d4a.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_bb2065e3720f4c0f50c3145dffe7727108f255ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_e7d9a6b40cc3c0d033d111a0943a0b9a6998f0fa.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_0565d8ddb0550cb31b23031709285c7de69c544e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20190918_R44245_images_1802d33bd99103c0e78e6326495777b6ddbc03ab.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "c692c62ea7c8d78d1ac4c8092350c5718032aa7b", "filename": "files/20190918_R44245_c692c62ea7c8d78d1ac4c8092350c5718032aa7b.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 604732, "date": "2019-09-10", "retrieved": "2019-09-16T22:08:31.785264", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "The following matters are of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations:\nIsrael\u2019s ability to address threats. Israel relies on a number of strengths\u2014including regional conventional military superiority\u2014to manage potential threats to its security, including evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. Some Members of Congress criticize various Israeli actions and U.S. policies regarding Israel. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security-related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity.\nIran and the region. Israeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran\u2019s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive. The presentation came days before President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that constrained Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. Israel has reportedly conducted a number of military operations in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon against Iran and its allies due to concerns about Iran\u2019s efforts to establish a permanent presence in these areas and improve the accuracy and effectiveness of Hezbollah\u2019s missile arsenal. Israel-Iran tensions increased somewhat during summer 2019 amid international concerns over the security of Persian Gulf energy commerce and questions about possible U.S.-Iran conflict or negotiation. In the context of ongoing uncertainty in Syria, in March 2019 President Trump recognized Israel\u2019s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights, changing long-standing U.S. policy that held\u2014in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 from 1981\u2014the Golan was occupied Syrian territory whose final status was subject to Israel-Syria negotiation.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. The prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. U.S.-Palestinian tensions have since worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and diplomatic moves\u2014including the May 2018 opening of the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The Administration claims it has prepared a plan that proposes specific solutions on the core issues of the conflict, but has repeatedly postponed the release of the plan. Palestinian leaders are wary of possible U.S. attempts to pressure them by economic means into difficult political concessions. While Israel may count on warming ties with Arab Gulf states over Iran to carry over into Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, these states\u2019 leaders maintain explicit support for a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem. In August 2019, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) took initial measures aimed at relieving a PA fiscal crisis surrounding the transfer of revenues that Israel collects on the PA\u2019s behalf. Netanyahu has pledged to annex parts of the West Bank if he is reelected as prime minister.\nDomestic issues. Israel will hold another round of Knesset elections on September 17, 2019, after Netanyahu was unable to form a government following April 2019 elections and the Knesset dissolved itself. A new government (if it is so inclined) may face time constraints to passing legislation that could protect Netanyahu from indictment on three pending corruption charges. Netanyahu\u2019s pre-indictment hearing is scheduled to take place in early October. Observers speculate about who among Netanyahu and his rivals\u2014such as Kahol Lavan (Blue and White) party leader Benny Gantz\u2014might form and lead a government after the elections.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "65595e86a6190c0dbb8a0a97a13f7a81e8f5dd07", "filename": "files/20190910_R44245_65595e86a6190c0dbb8a0a97a13f7a81e8f5dd07.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_e7d9a6b40cc3c0d033d111a0943a0b9a6998f0fa.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/11.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_d215bbf13ef9ec27cf7051250c364a3532ea3e56.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_0565d8ddb0550cb31b23031709285c7de69c544e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_1802d33bd99103c0e78e6326495777b6ddbc03ab.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_c8f03582a487691627fd6509ba55dba71220322b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_7b9bcde26a8f65dc9d6d991324ce87f71ee45d4a.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_bb2065e3720f4c0f50c3145dffe7727108f255ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20190910_R44245_images_576458746c0ca336dc00c84efaac82ff202c7ebc.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "9034884d39ec0f498656a70b6e69b6443fdb828e", "filename": "files/20190910_R44245_9034884d39ec0f498656a70b6e69b6443fdb828e.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 600329, "date": "2019-06-13", "retrieved": "2019-07-02T22:15:24.141402", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Strong relations between the United States and Israel have led to bilateral cooperation in many areas. Matters of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations include \nIsrael\u2019s ability to address the threats it faces in its region.\nShared U.S.-Israel concerns about Iran and its allies on the nuclear issue and in Syria and Lebanon.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. \nIsraeli domestic political issues, including elections scheduled for September 2019.\nIsrael relies on a number of strengths to manage potential threats to its security and existence. It maintains conventional military superiority relative to neighboring states and the Palestinians. It also takes measures to deter, attack, and defend its population and borders from evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. Against a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. In recent months, U.S. officials have expressed some security-related concerns about China-Israel commercial activity.\nIsraeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. In April 2018, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu presented historical information about Iran\u2019s nuclear program that Israeli intelligence apparently seized from an Iranian archive. The presentation came days before President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that constrains Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. It is unclear whether Israel might take future military action in Iran if Iranian nuclear activities resume. Since 2018, Israel has conducted a number of military operations in Syria against Iran and its allies, including Lebanese Hezbollah. Israel and Iran also appear to be competing for military advantage over each other at the Israel-Lebanon border. Amid uncertainty in the area, in March 2019 President Trump recognized Israel\u2019s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights, changing long-standing U.S. policy that held\u2014in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 from 1981\u2014the Golan was occupied Syrian territory whose final status was subject to Israel-Syria negotiation.\nThe prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. U.S.-Palestinian tensions have since worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and diplomatic moves\u2014including the May 2018 opening of the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. The Administration claims it has prepared a plan that proposes specific solutions on the core issues of the conflict, but the release of the plan has been repeatedly postponed and some question whether it will ever happen. Palestinian leaders are wary of possible attempts to pressure them into difficult political concessions through U.S. policies and initiatives\u2014including an event scheduled for June 2019 in Bahrain to discuss Palestinian economic development. Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has pledged to begin annexing Israeli settlements in the West Bank if he forms the next Israeli government. While Israel may count on warming ties with Arab Gulf states over Iran to carry over into Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, these states\u2019 leaders maintain explicit support for a Palestinian state with a capital in Jerusalem.\nDomestically, Israel will hold another round of Knesset elections in September 2019, after Netanyahu was unable to form a government following April 2019 elections and the Knesset dissolved itself. The elections may come too late for a new Netanyahu government (if he wins) to pass legislation protecting him from indictment on three pending corruption charges. A pre-indictment hearing is scheduled to take place in early October.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "e532b6e242077756ae865be726ea6c6250713b80", "filename": "files/20190613_R44245_e532b6e242077756ae865be726ea6c6250713b80.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_c097d76bb9a3932e4a4652d5854681e3f9dd1539.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/11.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_cd821cb7c1ffd39062cda7f11b6a811ecddb75f0.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/14.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_1452b2b55cc30744424cbf6c258a49dec146a87b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_7b990b0671cbb3614683f1517f90df3b634d1f02.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/12.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_dea6b0552f5ec2f973361476570c7723d50e0914.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_4d8d6cb8891e8f5c4838cdd8d900d1c4f0c5a454.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/15.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_535772fc823bd77cd9faf413b52feaf9da44c5a4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_e7d9a6b40cc3c0d033d111a0943a0b9a6998f0fa.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_6b5d234b97393bba0206a6f7a75393965509e2e7.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_bb2065e3720f4c0f50c3145dffe7727108f255ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/13.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_c8f03582a487691627fd6509ba55dba71220322b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20190613_R44245_images_4cb92a596a1d54bca54e19bad8198311ee288d02.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "6e809c43854026dc6af34905d6d47931d839338b", "filename": "files/20190613_R44245_6e809c43854026dc6af34905d6d47931d839338b.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 596036, "date": "2019-04-08", "retrieved": "2019-04-17T13:45:35.431715", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Strong relations between the United States and Israel have led to bilateral cooperation in many areas. Matters of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations include \nIsrael\u2019s ability to address the threats it faces in its region.\nShared U.S.-Israel concerns about Iran and its allies on the nuclear issue and in Syria and Lebanon.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. \nIsraeli domestic political issues, including elections scheduled for 2019.\nIsrael relies on a number of strengths to manage potential threats to its security and existence. It maintains conventional military superiority relative to neighboring states and the Palestinians. It also takes measures to deter attack and defend its population and borders from evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Additionally, Israel has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. \nAgainst a backdrop of strong bilateral cooperation, Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations. \nIsraeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released new Israeli intelligence on Iran\u2019s nuclear program in April 2018, days before President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that constrains Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. It is unclear whether Israel might take future military action in Iran if Iranian nuclear activities resume. Since 2018, Israel has conducted a number of military operations in Syria against Iran and its allies, including Lebanese Hezbollah. Israel and Iran also appear to be competing for military advantage over each other at the Israel-Lebanon border. Amid uncertainty in the area, in March 2019 President Trump recognized Israel\u2019s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights, changing long-standing U.S. policy that held\u2014in line with U.N. Security Council Resolution 497 from 1981\u2014the Golan was occupied Syrian territory whose final status was subject to Israel-Syria negotiation.\nThe prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. U.S.-Palestinian tensions have since worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and diplomatic moves\u2014including the May 2018 opening of the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders interpreted these actions as prejudicing their claims to a capital in Jerusalem and to a just resolution of Palestinian refugee claims. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has welcomed these U.S. actions. The Trump Administration has suggested that it will release a proposed peace plan after Israeli elections, which are scheduled for April 9, 2019. Speculation continues about how warming ties between Israel and Arab Gulf states may affect Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy, though Saudi Arabia said that the U.S. policy change on the Golan Heights would negatively affect the peace process. Bouts of tension and violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza have continued\u2014reportedly accompanied by indirect talks between the two parties that are being brokered by Egypt and aim for a long-term cease-fire. \nDomestically, Israel is preparing for the April 9 elections, which are closely contested. Former top general Benny Gantz is combining with former Finance Minister Yair Lapid to challenge Netanyahu, whom the attorney general has recommended be indicted for corruption in three separate cases. The elections and subsequent government formation process will have significant implications for Israel\u2019s future leadership and policies.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "d051929fb75e7c687191bc7fe39d0dac395b48a5", "filename": "files/20190408_R44245_d051929fb75e7c687191bc7fe39d0dac395b48a5.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_c097d76bb9a3932e4a4652d5854681e3f9dd1539.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/11.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_cd821cb7c1ffd39062cda7f11b6a811ecddb75f0.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/14.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_1452b2b55cc30744424cbf6c258a49dec146a87b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/4.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_4cb92a596a1d54bca54e19bad8198311ee288d02.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/7.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_4d8d6cb8891e8f5c4838cdd8d900d1c4f0c5a454.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/12.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_5cc81d1b272323eaf32fc8894261b7c9b65ce872.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/9.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_c8f03582a487691627fd6509ba55dba71220322b.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/8.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_dea6b0552f5ec2f973361476570c7723d50e0914.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/15.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_535772fc823bd77cd9faf413b52feaf9da44c5a4.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/3.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_e4568d74d9794536cfc9259187bf6e60a9d2f687.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_6925f27e4a7f375b4768f0262687f56975f3ee0f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/6.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_7b990b0671cbb3614683f1517f90df3b634d1f02.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_bb2065e3720f4c0f50c3145dffe7727108f255ca.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/13.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_5e64b69e92631dee2ea924a7b5d116f2a478a119.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/10.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_f3862ed2b7d19872fa4a6b8eb08dcf23e4b0a080.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/5.png": "files/20190408_R44245_images_6b5d234b97393bba0206a6f7a75393965509e2e7.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "e78ddbb70fe7e13d6da899294d344a0f17bf4f0a", "filename": "files/20190408_R44245_e78ddbb70fe7e13d6da899294d344a0f17bf4f0a.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 588850, "date": "2018-12-14", "retrieved": "2018-12-19T13:59:51.848590", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Strong relations between the United States and Israel have led to bilateral cooperation in many areas. Matters of particular significance to U.S.-Israel relations include \nIsrael\u2019s ability to address the threats it faces in its region.\nShared U.S.-Israel concerns about Iran and its allies on the nuclear issue and in Syria and Lebanon.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues. \nIsraeli domestic political issues, including elections scheduled for 2019.\nIsrael relies on a number of strengths to manage potential threats to its security and existence. It maintains conventional military superiority relative to its neighbors and the Palestinians, and it takes measures to deter attack and defend its population and borders\u2014including from evolving asymmetric threats such as rockets and missiles, cross-border tunneling, drones, and cyberattacks. Israel also has an undeclared but presumed nuclear weapons capability. \nIsrael\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. A 10-year bilateral military aid memorandum of understanding (MOU)\u2014signed in 2016\u2014commits the United States to provide Israel $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing annually from FY2019 to FY2028, along with additional amounts from Defense Department accounts for missile defense. All of these amounts remain subject to congressional appropriations.\nIsraeli officials seek to counter Iranian regional influence and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu released new Israeli intelligence on Iran\u2019s nuclear program in April 2018, days before President Trump announced the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that constrains Iran\u2019s nuclear activities. It is unclear whether Israel might take future military action in Iran if Iranian nuclear activities resume. In 2018, Israel has conducted a number of military operations in Syria against Iran and its allies, including Lebanese Hezbollah. Since Russia installed an S-300 air defense system in Syria following the inadvertent downing of one of its aircraft by Syrian anti-aircraft fire in the wake of a September Israeli airstrike, Israel-Iran violence in Syria has decreased. The two countries appear to have shifted some of their focus toward gaining military advantage over each other at the Israel-Lebanon border.\nThe prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors. Palestinian leaders cut off high-level political contacts with the Trump Administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital in December 2017. In 2018, U.S.-Palestinian tensions worsened amid U.S. cutoffs of funding to the Palestinians and diplomatic moves\u2014including the May opening of the U.S. embassy to Israel in Jerusalem. Palestinian leaders interpreted these actions as prejudicing their claims to a capital in Jerusalem and to a just resolution of Palestinian refugee claims. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has welcomed these U.S. actions. The Trump Administration has suggested that it will release a proposed peace plan in 2019. Speculation continues about possible U.S. efforts to extract concessions from Israel or to have Arab states press Palestinians on aspects of the peace plan. Bouts of tension and violence in 2018 between Israel and Hamas in Gaza have occurred\u2014reportedly accompanied by indirect talks between the two parties that are being brokered by Egypt and aim for a long-term cease-fire. \nDomestically, Israel is preparing for elections scheduled for 2019. During 2018, the Israeli police have recommended that Prime Minister Netanyahu be indicted for breach of trust in three separate cases. The attorney general may determine whether to press charges in 2019. Netanyahu\u2019s Likud party still leads in polling, and he reportedly seeks to gain a popular mandate to remain in office even if he is indicted. Observers question whether an alliance made up of leading politicians and former generals might gain the popular support necessary to unseat Netanyahu.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "8683ea672dd4019f7cbd6f553bffda254f8b03f1", "filename": "files/20181214_R44245_8683ea672dd4019f7cbd6f553bffda254f8b03f1.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20181214_R44245_images_2814d32a0da5aaa4d8c5f326a796b454d7851930.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20181214_R44245_images_74fac00f4e12e87cd8c31883f33976400c481f9c.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "84133509704fd5dcb7dffd73a04b5f5a3eebf06b", "filename": "files/20181214_R44245_84133509704fd5dcb7dffd73a04b5f5a3eebf06b.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 584236, "date": "2018-07-31", "retrieved": "2018-10-05T23:01:30.755931", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Strong relations between the United States and Israel have reinforced bilateral cooperation in many areas. Matters of particular significance include the following: \nConcerns about Iran and Iranian allies, including the 2015 international nuclear agreement and growing tension and conflict involving Iran and its allies (including Hezbollah) at Israel\u2019s northern border with Syria and Lebanon.\nIsraeli-Palestinian issues, including President Trump\u2019s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and relocation of the U.S. embassy in Israel there. \nIsraeli domestic political issues, including criminal cases pending against Prime Minister Netanyahu.\nIsrael relies on a number of strengths, along with discreet coordination with Arab states, to manage potential threats to its security and existence. Israel maintains conventional military superiority relative to its neighbors and the Palestinians. Shifts in regional order and evolving asymmetric threats have led Israel to update its efforts to project military strength, deter attack, and defend its population and borders. Israel appears to have reduced some unconventional threats via missile defense systems, reported cyber defense and warfare capabilities, and heightened security measures vis-\u00e0-vis Palestinians. Israeli officials closely consult with U.S. counterparts in an effort to influence U.S. decisionmaking on key regional issues. Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case to U.S. officials that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests.\nIran remains of primary concern to Israeli officials largely because of (1) Iran\u2019s antipathy toward Israel, (2) Iran\u2019s broad regional influence, and (3) the possibility that Iran will be free of nuclear program constraints in the future. As mentioned above, in recent years Israel and Arab Gulf states have discreetly cultivated closer relations with one another in efforts to counter Iran.\nA \u201cshadow war\u201d has developed between Israel and Iran over Iran\u2019s presence in Syria. In the early years of the Syria conflict, Israel primarily employed airstrikes to prevent Iranian weapons shipments destined for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Since 2017, with the government of Bashar al Asad increasingly in control of large portions of Syria\u2019s territory, Israeli leaders have expressed intentions to prevent Iran from constructing and operating bases or advanced weapons manufacturing facilities in Syria. The focus of Israeli military operations in Syria has expanded in line with an increasing number of Iran-related concerns there. Further exacerbating Israeli sensitivities, Iran-backed forces (particularly Hezbollah) have moved closer to the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights since late 2017 via actions against Syrian opposition groups.\nRussia\u2019s advanced air defense systems in Syria could affect Israeli operations. To date, Russia does not appear to have acted militarily to thwart Israeli airstrikes against Iranian or Syrian targets. However, Russian officials\u2019 statements in response to Israeli actions in Syria since February have fueled speculation about Russia\u2019s position vis-\u00e0-vis Israel and Iran, given that Russia\u2019s military presence in Syria is protected by Iran-backed ground forces.\nHezbollah has challenged Israel\u2019s security near the Lebanese border for decades\u2014with the antagonism at times contained near the border, and at times escalating into broader conflict. Speculation persists about the potential for wider conflict and its regional implications. In recent years, Israeli officials have sought to draw attention to Hezbollah\u2019s weapons buildup\u2014including reported upgrades to the range, precision, and power of its projectiles\u2014and its alleged use of Lebanese civilian areas as strongholds.\nThe prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by many factors, as discussed above. Since President Trump took office, he and officials from his Administration have expressed interest in brokering a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Many of their statements and policies, however, have raised questions about the timing and viability of any new U.S.-backed diplomatic initiative. The change in U.S. policy on Jerusalem in December 2017 has complicated the U.S. role. Israeli leaders generally celebrated the change, but PLO Chairman Abbas strongly objected. Many other countries opposed President Trump\u2019s statements on Jerusalem. This opposition was reflected in December action at the United Nations.\nThe Israeli police recommended in February 2018 that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit indict Prime Minister Netanyahu for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Mandelblit may decide in 2019 whether to press charges. In response to the police recommendations, Netanyahu\u2014who has consistently denied the allegations\u2014said that the recommendations \u201cwill end with nothing\u201d and that he will stay in office to pursue Israel\u2019s well-being. However, they could potentially threaten Netanyahu\u2019s position as prime minister.\nThe Knesset has recently passed some notable legislation. In July 2018, it passed a Basic Law defining Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people. Also in July, the Knesset voted to withhold funds from the Palestinian Authority to \u201cpenalize it for paying stipends to Palestinian prisoners in Israel, their families and the families of Palestinians killed or wounded in confrontations with Israelis.\u201d Another bill passed in July permits single women to be surrogate parents, but does not extend the same permission to single men or same-sex couples.\nAdditionally, controversial legislation has passed to apply some aspects of Israeli law to settlements in the West Bank, and is pending to limit the Supreme Court\u2019s power of judicial review over legislation. Several of the government\u2019s opponents and critics have voiced warnings that these and other initiatives may stifle dissent or undermine the independence of key Israeli institutions such as the media, the judiciary, and the military.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "ef38fe7b51c0e5ddc09ee1c1477fd87ad449f62f", "filename": "files/20180731_R44245_ef38fe7b51c0e5ddc09ee1c1477fd87ad449f62f.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180731_R44245_images_503b14f931b6923e9ae3c90d969877528307edbb.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180731_R44245_images_74fac00f4e12e87cd8c31883f33976400c481f9c.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "c3a5798e89efee0e68d1580ae859e676b9e6c804", "filename": "files/20180731_R44245_c3a5798e89efee0e68d1580ae859e676b9e6c804.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 581326, "date": "2018-05-21", "retrieved": "2018-05-23T22:06:20.491363", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Israel relies on the following strengths to manage potential threats to its security and existence:\noverwhelming regional conventional military superiority;\nundeclared but universally presumed nuclear weapons capability; and\nde jure or de facto arrangements with the authoritarian leaders of its Arab state neighbors aimed at preventing regional conflict.\nAnother Israeli strength is the support it receives from the United States. Israeli officials closely consult with U.S. counterparts in an effort to influence U.S. decisionmaking on key regional issues. Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case to U.S. officials that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. They also argue that Israel has multifaceted worth as a U.S. ally and that the Israeli and American peoples share core values.\nPrime Minister Netanyahu has vigorously sought to influence U.S. decisions on the international agreement on Iran\u2019s nuclear program (known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA). He argued strenuously against the JCPOA when it was negotiated in 2015. Netanyahu welcomed President Trump\u2019s May 2018 withdrawal of the United States from the JCPOA and accompanying reimposition of U.S. sanctions on Iran\u2019s oil and central bank transactions. Although concern about Iran and its nuclear program is widespread among Israelis, their views on the JCPOA vary. Netanyahu and his supporters in government have routinely complained that the JCPOA fails to address matters not directly connected to Iran\u2019s nuclear program, such as Iran\u2019s development of ballistic missiles and its sponsorship of terrorist groups. Media reports suggest that a number of current and former Israeli officials have favored preserving the JCPOA because of the limits it placed on Iranian nuclear activities for some time and/or these officials\u2019 doubts about achieving international consensus for anything stricter.\nAn intensifying \u201cshadow war\u201d between Israel and Iran over Iran\u2019s presence in Syria produced a major incident on May 10 (described below), shortly after President Trump\u2019s withdrawal from the JCPOA. The focus of Israeli military operations in Syria has expanded in line with an increasing number of Iran-related concerns there. Since a February 10 incident, Israel has reportedly struck Iranian targets on multiple occasions. The resulting exchanges of fire (including the downing of an Israeli F-16 during the February incident) and subsequent official statements from Israel, Iran, Syria, and Russia have highlighted the possibility that limited Israeli strikes to enforce \u201credlines\u201d against Iran-backed forces could expand into wider conflict, particularly in cases of miscalculation by one or both sides.\nThe level of U.S. regional military and political involvement could influence strategic Israeli decisions regarding Iran in Syria. Speculation persists about potential conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and potential consequences for the region. Hezbollah has challenged Israel\u2019s security near the Lebanese border for decades. It is unclear whether increased conflict between Israel and Iran over Iran\u2019s presence in Syria would lead Hezbollah\u2019s Lebanon-based forces to open another front against Israel. Russia\u2019s advanced air defense systems in Syria could affect Israeli operations. To date, Russia does not appear to have acted militarily to thwart Israeli airstrikes against Iranian or Syrian targets. However, Russian officials\u2019 statements in response to Israeli actions in Syria since February have fueled speculation about Russia\u2019s position vis-\u00e0-vis Israel and Iran, given that Russia\u2019s military presence in Syria is protected by Iran-backed ground forces.\nProspects for an Israeli-Palestinian peace process are complicated by deep impasses on core issues of conflict, including security, borders, Israeli settlements, and the status of Jerusalem and Palestinian refugees. Contentious domestic politics on both sides make it difficult for them to contemplate diplomatic concessions, particularly in a climate where questions surround the continued leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu (see \u201cPolice Recommend Indictment of Netanyahu\u201d) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. Since President Trump took office, he and officials from his Administration have expressed interest in brokering a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Many of their statements and policies, however, have raised questions about the timing and viability of any new U.S.-backed diplomatic initiative.\nIn December 2017, President Trump proclaimed \u201cthat the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and that the United States Embassy to Israel will be relocated to Jerusalem as soon as practicable.\u201d These steps represented a departure from the decades-long U.S. executive branch practice of not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem or any part of it. The embassy opened on May 14 amid criticism from several international actors and the same day\u2019s violence at the Gaza-Israel frontier.\nThe Israeli police recommended in February 2018 that Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit indict Prime Minister Netanyahu for bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Mandelblit\u2019s decision about whether to press charges could take months. In response, Netanyahu\u2014who has consistently denied the allegations\u2014said that the police recommendations \u201cwill end with nothing\u201d and that he would stay in office to pursue Israel\u2019s well-being. However, they could potentially threaten Netanyahu\u2019s position as prime minister. A number of other contentious domestic developments are taking place in Israel. Several of the government\u2019s opponents and critics have voiced warnings about government initiatives depicted as targeting dissent or undermining the independence of key Israeli institutions such as the media, the judiciary, and the military. Early elections (legally, elections are required by 2019) may heighten contention surrounding these issues if the governing coalition splits over the cases against Prime Minister Netanyahu or some other issue.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "e7b26f37f2bf0950ba732822b0874bb0afd8c764", "filename": "files/20180521_R44245_e7b26f37f2bf0950ba732822b0874bb0afd8c764.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180521_R44245_images_abdb68d1d0e08190a9ced854905b1af183eef925.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180521_R44245_images_c7bc0043d4404bc29b9830d0c6d7eead37ac6bb8.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "6c24b5e4c59b5e12231a41ce42aba3a383c90acc", "filename": "files/20180521_R44245_6c24b5e4c59b5e12231a41ce42aba3a383c90acc.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 578794, "date": "2018-02-28", "retrieved": "2018-03-09T00:06:03.070835", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Since the Cold War, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. \nA number of issues have significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations. They include \nIsraeli-Palestinian issues and controversies surrounding them, including President Trump\u2019s December 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and announced plan to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel there. \nRegional security issues (including those involving Iran, Hezbollah, and Syria) and U.S.-Israel cooperation.\nIsraeli domestic political issues, including criminal cases pending against Prime Minister Netanyahu.\nSince President Trump took office, he and officials from his Administration have expressed desires to broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Many of their statements, however, have raised questions about whether and when a new U.S.-backed diplomatic initiative to pursue that goal might surface, as well as broader questions about the U.S. role in the peace process. In December, President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and announced his intention to relocate the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. In response, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas publicly rejected U.S. sponsorship of the peace process. Many other countries opposed President Trump\u2019s statements on Jerusalem. This opposition was reflected in December action at the United Nations. These U.S. steps have changed the context for Israeli and Palestinian discussions on their respective political priorities. These discussions, in turn, have influenced Administration decisions to reduce or delay aid to the Palestinians.\nThe contentious issues described above have made prospects for a relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian talks in 2018 uncertain. The Administration still seeks support from Arab states (such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt) for a U.S.-aided peace process. Following a January ministerial meeting in Jordan, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al Jabir reinforced the joint Arab position opposing the new U.S. stance on Jerusalem, and supporting a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. Despite these Arab states\u2019 negative public reaction to the President\u2019s Jerusalem decision, they are reportedly working discreetly with the United States and Israel to counter Iran\u2019s influence in the region. The Administration\u2019s National Security Strategy, issued in December 2017, asserts, \u201cToday, the threats from jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region\u2019s problems. States have increasingly found common interests with Israel in confronting common threats.\u201d\nOn December 6, 2017, President Trump proclaimed \u201cthat the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and that the United States Embassy to Israel will be relocated to Jerusalem as soon as practicable.\u201d A December deadline for presidential action under the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-45) precipitated the timing of the President\u2019s decision. \nIn making his decision, President Trump departed from the decades-long U.S. executive branch practice of not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem or any part of it. The western part of Jerusalem that Israel has controlled since 1948 has served as the seat of its government since shortly after its founding as a state. Israel officially considers Jerusalem (including the eastern part it unilaterally annexed after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, while also expanding the city\u2019s municipal boundaries) to be its capital.\nIsrael relies on the following strengths to manage potential threats to its security and existence:\noverwhelming regional conventional military superiority;\nundeclared but universally presumed nuclear weapons capability; and\nde jure or de facto arrangements with the authoritarian leaders of its Arab state neighbors aimed at preventing regional conflict.\nAnother Israeli strength is the support it receives from the United States. Israeli officials closely consult with U.S. counterparts in an effort to influence U.S. decisionmaking on key regional issues. Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case to U.S. officials that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. They also argue that Israel has multifaceted worth as a U.S. ally and that the Israeli and American peoples share core values.\nIran remains of primary concern to Israeli officials largely because of (1) Iran\u2019s antipathy toward Israel, (2) Iran\u2019s broad regional influence, and (3) the possibility that Iran will not face nuclear program constraints in the future. As mentioned above, in recent years Israel and Arab Gulf states have discreetly cultivated closer relations with one another in efforts to counter Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu remains publicly skeptical of the 2015 international agreement on Iran\u2019s nuclear program, calling in a September 2017 speech before the U.N. General Assembly for the agreement\u2019s signatories to \u201cfix it or nix it.\u201d Many other Israeli officials have accepted the nuclear agreement, and some have characterized it in positive terms.\nSince 2017, Israeli officials have increasingly expressed concerns about Iranian influence near Israel\u2019s northern borders with Lebanon and Syria. The government of Bashar al Asad regained control of large portions of Syria\u2019s territory, with assistance from Iran, various Iran-backed militias, and Russia. Israel has alleged that Iran aspires to establish territorial corridors to the Mediterranean coast, and to have some kind of military presence along those corridors.\nA number of contentious domestic developments are taking place in Israel. Several of the government\u2019s opponents and critics have voiced warnings about government initiatives depicted as targeting dissent or undermining the independence of key Israeli institutions such as the media, the judiciary, and the military. Controversial Knesset legislation may be forthcoming to define Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people in a basic law, and limit the Supreme Court\u2019s power of judicial review over legislation. Key government figures are seeking to have legislation increasingly apply to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "42edafe3e1ec1f6a09fe4b9890fd91cd8200a5ec", "filename": "files/20180228_R44245_42edafe3e1ec1f6a09fe4b9890fd91cd8200a5ec.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180228_R44245_images_db6e3589fba52f2fe0343ad53eb6100ea349db07.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180228_R44245_images_078ca388283e2e50ada2a4f50d3d036709b96f8e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180228_R44245_images_916083910045acc92e6067a0e520b699a0f17223.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "093d6a77915cf0482f46e98e32be7f39739e1599", "filename": "files/20180228_R44245_093d6a77915cf0482f46e98e32be7f39739e1599.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 578367, "date": "2018-02-12", "retrieved": "2018-02-13T14:09:55.453259", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Since the Cold War, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. \nA number of issues have significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations. They include \nIsraeli-Palestinian issues and controversies surrounding them, including President Trump\u2019s December 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and announced plan to relocate the U.S. embassy in Israel there. \nRegional security issues (including those involving Iran, Hezbollah, and Syria) and U.S.-Israel cooperation.\nIsraeli domestic political issues, including an ongoing criminal investigation of Prime Minister Netanyahu.\nSince President Trump took office, he and officials from his Administration have expressed desires to broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Many of their statements, however, have raised questions about whether and when a new U.S.-backed diplomatic initiative to pursue that goal might surface, as well as broader questions about the U.S. role in the peace process. In December, President Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and announced his intention to relocate the U.S. embassy there from Tel Aviv. In response, Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Chairman and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas publicly rejected U.S. sponsorship of the peace process. Many other countries opposed President Trump\u2019s statements on Jerusalem. This opposition was reflected in December action at the United Nations. These U.S. steps have changed the context for Israeli and Palestinian discussions on their respective political priorities. These discussions, in turn, have influenced Administration decisions to reduce or delay aid to the Palestinians.\nThe contentious issues described above have made prospects for a relaunch of Israeli-Palestinian talks in 2018 uncertain. The Administration still seeks support from Arab states (such as Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt) for a U.S.-aided peace process. Following a January ministerial meeting in Jordan, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al Jabir reinforced the joint Arab position opposing the new U.S. stance on Jerusalem, and supporting a Palestinian state with its capital in East Jerusalem. Despite these Arab states\u2019 negative public reaction to the President\u2019s Jerusalem decision, they are reportedly working discreetly with the United States and Israel to counter Iran\u2019s influence in the region. The Administration\u2019s National Security Strategy, issued in December 2017, asserts, \u201cToday, the threats from jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region\u2019s problems. States have increasingly found common interests with Israel in confronting common threats.\u201d\nOn December 6, 2017, President Trump proclaimed \u201cthat the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and that the United States Embassy to Israel will be relocated to Jerusalem as soon as practicable.\u201d A December deadline for presidential action under the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-45) precipitated the timing of the President\u2019s decision. \nIn making his decision, President Trump departed from the decades-long U.S. executive branch practice of not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem or any part of it. The western part of Jerusalem that Israel has controlled since 1948 has served as the seat of its government since shortly after its founding as a state. Israel officially considers Jerusalem (including the eastern part it unilaterally annexed after the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, while also expanding the city\u2019s municipal boundaries) to be its capital.\nIsrael relies on the following strengths to manage potential threats to its security and existence:\noverwhelming regional conventional military superiority;\nundeclared but universally presumed nuclear weapons capability; and\nde jure or de facto arrangements with the authoritarian leaders of its Arab state neighbors aimed at preventing regional conflict.\nAnother Israeli strength is the support it receives from the United States. Israeli officials closely consult with U.S. counterparts in an effort to influence U.S. decision-making on key regional issues. Israel\u2019s leaders and supporters routinely make the case to U.S. officials that Israel\u2019s security and the broader stability of the region remain critically important for U.S. interests. They also argue that Israel has multifaceted worth as a U.S. ally and that the Israeli and American peoples share core values.\nIran remains of primary concern to Israeli officials largely because of (1) Iran\u2019s antipathy toward Israel, (2) Iran\u2019s broad regional influence, and (3) the possibility that Iran will not face nuclear program constraints in the future. As mentioned above, in recent years Israel and Arab Gulf states have discreetly cultivated closer relations with one another in efforts to counter Iran. Prime Minister Netanyahu remains publicly skeptical of the 2015 international agreement on Iran\u2019s nuclear program, calling in a September 2017 speech before the U.N. General Assembly for the agreement\u2019s signatories to \u201cfix it or nix it.\u201d Many other Israeli officials have accepted the nuclear agreement, and some have characterized it in positive terms.\nSince 2017, Israeli officials have increasingly expressed concerns about Iranian influence near Israel\u2019s northern borders with Lebanon and Syria. The government of Bashar al Asad regained control of large portions of Syria\u2019s territory, with assistance from Iran, various Iran-backed militias, and Russia. Israel has alleged that Iran aspires to establish territorial corridors to the Mediterranean coast, and to have some kind of military presence along those corridors.\nA number of contentious domestic developments are taking place in Israel. Several of the government\u2019s opponents and critics have voiced warnings about government initiatives depicted as targeting dissent or undermining the independence of key Israeli institutions such as the media, the judiciary, and the military. Controversial Knesset legislation may be forthcoming to define Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people in a basic law, and limit the Supreme Court\u2019s power of judicial review over legislation. Key government figures are seeking to have legislation increasingly apply to Israeli settlements in the West Bank.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "82aab2282eddef2af48777f68f899d16d7d683d2", "filename": "files/20180212_R44245_82aab2282eddef2af48777f68f899d16d7d683d2.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20180212_R44245_images_db6e3589fba52f2fe0343ad53eb6100ea349db07.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20180212_R44245_images_078ca388283e2e50ada2a4f50d3d036709b96f8e.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/2.png": "files/20180212_R44245_images_e0692d6a9ac694a19c7db1a9c2bd85de75a04649.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "9bf440605294384cecc8ca062acc6b687981c40a", "filename": "files/20180212_R44245_9bf440605294384cecc8ca062acc6b687981c40a.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 577027, "date": "2017-12-22", "retrieved": "2018-01-03T13:51:48.922027", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014arose or intensified during the Obama Administration. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration in January 2017, he and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have discussed ways \u201cto advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.\u201d\nPresident Trump has stated aspirations to help broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement as the \u201cultimate deal.\u201d The President\u2019s advisors on Israeli issues include his senior advisor Jared Kushner (who is also his son-in-law), special envoy Jason Greenblatt, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman. Various political developments during 2017 (some of which are discussed below) have raised questions about whether and when a new U.S.-backed diplomatic initiative might surface.\nVia a presidential document that he signed on December 6, 2017, President Trump proclaimed \u201cthat the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and that the United States Embassy to Israel will be relocated to Jerusalem as soon as practicable.\u201d In making his decision, President Trump departed from the decades-long U.S. executive branch practice of not recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem or any part of it. The President stated in a speech that he was not taking a position on \u201cspecific boundaries of the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem,\u201d and would continue to consider the city\u2019s final status to be subject to Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.\nIsraeli officials welcomed the President\u2019s decision. Reactions from other international actors\u2014including key Arab and European countries\u2014were mostly negative. Several governments warned that recognizing Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and preparing for an embassy move could lead to the collapse of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to violence, and some asserted that the decision was \u201cnot in line\u201d with U.N. Security Council resolutions.\nVarious U.S. actions and statements feed into the overall conversation within Israel about settlement activity. According to one media source from late 2017, as Netanyahu tries to \u201cbalance the demands of his pro-settlement coalition partners with the opposition from the international community,\u201d settlement opponents\u2019 concerns focus on activity in remote areas of the West Bank as well as possible preparatory moves to develop geographically sensitive areas of Jerusalem. In September 2017, Netanyahu told settler leaders that U.S. officials had told him privately that the Administration was prepared to tolerate limited settlement building and would not distinguish between settlement \u201cblocs\u201d (generally closer to Israel proper) and so-called isolated settlements.\nIsraeli officials closely consult with U.S. counterparts in an effort to influence U.S. decisionmaking on key regional issues. U.S. decisionmakers\u2019 views on these points could influence the type and level of support that the United States might provide to address threats Israel perceives, or how Israel might continue its traditional prerogative of \u201cdefending itself, by itself\u201d while also receiving external assistance. They also could influence the extent to which the United States places conditions on the support it provides to Israel.\nAlthough many Israeli officials have accepted the 2015 international agreement on Iran\u2019s nuclear program, and some even have characterized it in positive terms, Iran remains of primary concern to Israel largely because of (1) Iran\u2019s antipathy toward it, (2) Iran\u2019s broad regional influence, and (3) the possibility that Iran will not face nuclear program constraints in the future. Netanyahu remains publicly skeptical of the Iranian nuclear agreement, calling in a September 2017 speech before the U.N. General Assembly for the agreement\u2019s signatories to \u201cfix it or nix it.\u201d\nDuring 2017, Israeli officials have increasingly focused on concerns about Iranian influence near Israel\u2019s northern borders with Lebanon and Syria. Various incidents in 2017 have increased speculation about future conflict between Israel and Hezbollah and potential consequences for Lebanon, Israel, Syria, and others.\nA number of controversial domestic developments are taking place in Israel. Several of the government\u2019s opponents and critics have voiced warnings about government initiatives depicted as targeting dissent or undermining the independence of key Israeli institutions such as the media, the judiciary, and the military. Contention surrounding these issues may be heightened by the possibility of early elections (legally, elections are required by 2019) if the governing coalition splits over Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, an ongoing criminal investigation into Netanyahu\u2019s conduct, or some other issue.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "cf5e6ec6fb37517aff6c0e98cdb4865662d82401", "filename": "files/20171222_R44245_cf5e6ec6fb37517aff6c0e98cdb4865662d82401.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/1.png": "files/20171222_R44245_images_c3ee86af95cf8bab1a0b2bdcafb7a4da181f412f.png", "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20171222_R44245_images_3a1a15ec2000edd4c4d80dfb7f3bf02b2c1f5cff.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "5dbde2244895ec3655bb57a1ea48a85272d62c2d", "filename": "files/20171222_R44245_5dbde2244895ec3655bb57a1ea48a85272d62c2d.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 576081, "date": "2017-10-25", "retrieved": "2017-12-05T14:03:41.011237", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014arose or intensified during the Obama Administration. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration in January 2017, he and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have discussed ways \u201cto advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.\u201d\nA number of issues have significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations. They include \nRegional security issues (including those involving Iran, Hezbollah, Syria, and Hamas) and U.S.-Israel cooperation.\nVarious controversies regarding Israeli-Palestinian issues and diplomatic efforts to address them, including recent tensions concerning Jerusalem holy sites. \nIsraeli domestic political issues.\nFor decades, Israel has relied on the following three perceived advantages\u2014all generally considered to be backed or countenanced by the United States\u2014to manage potential threats to its security and existence:\noverwhelming regional conventional military superiority;\nundeclared but universally presumed regional nuclear weapons capability; and\nde jure or de facto arrangements with the authoritarian leaders of its Arab state neighbors aimed at preventing regional conflict.\nSome aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appear unchanged by recent diplomatic developments. Israel maintains overarching control of the security environment in Israel and the West Bank. Palestinians remain divided between a PA administration with limited self-rule in specified West Bank urban areas, led by the Fatah movement and PA President Abbas, and de facto Hamas control in the Gaza Strip. Both the PA and Hamas face major questions regarding future leadership.\nThere has been little or no change in the gaps between Israeli and Palestinian positions on key issues of dispute since the last round of direct talks broke down in April 2014. Since 2011, Arab states that have traditionally championed the Palestinian cause have been more preoccupied with domestic and other regional concerns, and many have built or strengthened informal ties with Israel based on common views regarding Iran and its regional influence.\nThe status of Jerusalem and its holy sites has been a long-standing issue of political and religious contention between Jews and Muslims. Since 2014, various incidents related to the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif (\u201cMount/Haram\u201d) have contributed to rounds of violence and political tension. In fall 2015, such tensions contributed to a wave of mostly \u201clone wolf\u201d attacks by Palestinians against Jewish Israeli security personnel and civilians that intensified for several months, tailed off in 2016, and have periodically resurfaced since then.\nAs 2017 has progressed, a legal probe of Prime Minister Netanyahu turned into a criminal investigation\u2014in connection with allegations of various types of corruption\u2014that some observers speculate could threaten his term of office. Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations. In the meantime, a number of controversial domestic developments have taken place in an overall environment where public figures debate the implications of various political, societal, and economic trends. Contention surrounding these issues may be greater given the possibility of early elections (legally, elections are required by 2019) if the governing coalition splits over Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the criminal investigation into Netanyahu\u2019s conduct, or some other issue.\nIsrael and Israelis seek to address many difficult issues Israel faces. Various Israeli figures differ in their perceptions of Israel\u2019s priorities and interests regarding Israel\u2019s policies on Iran, Israel\u2019s policies on Syria, Israeli\u2019s policies on Hezbollah, Israel\u2019s policies on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Israel\u2019s policies on Israeli domestic issues.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "03eb9b3fea88ac1c89eb4f9948ec0f3dc11d34f6", "filename": "files/20171025_R44245_03eb9b3fea88ac1c89eb4f9948ec0f3dc11d34f6.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20171025_R44245_images_3a1a15ec2000edd4c4d80dfb7f3bf02b2c1f5cff.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "b422dd382789e2aff42b84755c4048d9319e5e03", "filename": "files/20171025_R44245_b422dd382789e2aff42b84755c4048d9319e5e03.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 463040, "date": "2017-08-03", "retrieved": "2017-08-22T13:37:21.839244", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014arose or intensified during the Obama Administration. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration in January 2017, he and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have discussed ways \u201cto advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.\u201d\nA number of issues have significant implications for U.S.-Israel relations. They include:\nGeneral regional security issues and U.S.-Israel cooperation.\nVarious controversies regarding Israeli-Palestinian issues and diplomatic efforts to address them, including recent tensions concerning Jerusalem holy sites. \nIsraeli domestic political issues.\nFor decades, Israel has relied on the following three perceived advantages\u2014all generally considered to be either explicitly or implicitly backed by the United States\u2014to remove or minimize potential threats to its security and existence:\noverwhelming regional conventional military superiority;\nundeclared but universally presumed regional nuclear weapons capability; and\nde jure or de facto arrangements or relations with the authoritarian leaders of its Arab state neighbors aimed at preventing interstate conflict.\nSignificant (and sometimes overlapping) threats facing Israel include:\nIran and its allies (including Hezbollah and Hamas). \nLebanon-Syria border area. \nIsraeli-Palestinian conflict.\nGeneral regional instability.\nIt is unclear what actions the President and Congress might take on Israeli-Palestinian issues, and how Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders might respond. President Trump has stated aspirations to help broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement as the \u201cultimate deal.\u201d The President\u2019s advisors on Israeli issues include his senior advisor Jared Kushner (who is also his son-in-law), special envoy Jason Greenblatt, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.\nTo date, the Trump Administration has been less critical than the Obama Administration of Israeli settlement-related announcements and construction activity. The Administration and Israel\u2019s government engaged in reported discussions in efforts to reach an understanding on settlement construction. In late March, Netanyahu\u2019s government announced a new settlement policy that apparently sought to walk a \u201cfine line\u201d between maintaining good relations with the Trump Administration and placating right wing members of Netanyahu\u2019s government who reject any freeze on building and had hoped that U.S. pressure regarding settlements would have abated more under Trump. The new policy left Israel room for maneuver by stating general principles aimed at keeping new construction \u201cas close as possible\u201d to existing built-up areas.\nThe status of Jerusalem and its holy sites has been a long-standing issue of political and religious contention between Jews and Muslims. Since 2014, various incidents related to the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif [\u201cMount/Haram\u201d] have contributed to rounds of violence and political tension. In the fall of 2015, tensions related to access to the Mount/Haram contributed to a wave of mostly \u201clone wolf\u201d attacks by Palestinians against Jewish Israeli security personnel and civilians that intensified for several months, tailed off in 2016, and has periodically resurfaced since then. In July 2017, a succession of events at the Mount/Haram led to a crisis involving Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority (PA).\nAs a candidate, Donald Trump\u2014like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush when they were presidential candidates\u2014pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem. However, during a January 2017 visit to Washington, DC, King Abdullah II of Jordan met with President Trump to warn against an embassy move. In a meeting with congressional leaders, the king \u201cwarned that moving the US embassy to Jerusalem will have regional consequences that will diminish the opportunity for peace and reaching the two-state solution.\u201d\nOn May 31, President Trump signed a determination that suspended for another six months the P.L. 104-45 limitations due on State Department spending if a Jerusalem embassy was not open. In June, the Senate passed S.Res. 176, which reaffirmed P.L. 104-45 and that \u201cit is the longstanding, bipartisan policy of the United States Government that the permanent status of Jerusalem remains a matter to be decided between the parties through final status negotiations towards a two-state solution.\u201d\nA number of controversial domestic developments have taken place in 2017. Contention surrounding these issues may be greater given the possibility of early elections (legally, elections are required by 2019) if the governing coalition splits over Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the criminal investigation into Netanyahu\u2019s conduct, or some other issue.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "decf7a5db9b91619ee3982edd839e7113eecfbf9", "filename": "files/20170803_R44245_decf7a5db9b91619ee3982edd839e7113eecfbf9.html", "images": { "/products/Getimages/?directory=R/html/R44245_files&id=/0.png": "files/20170803_R44245_images_807266d7a3e1dd571e9b12c7de67347846343762.png" } }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "5e88868d9d1be6d213fb6addd3ec0917ab00d903", "filename": "files/20170803_R44245_5e88868d9d1be6d213fb6addd3ec0917ab00d903.pdf", "images": {} } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 461331, "date": "2017-05-17", "retrieved": "2017-05-24T16:19:08.182647", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014arose or intensified during the Obama Administration. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration in January 2017, he and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have discussed ways \u201cto advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.\u201d\nUnder President Trump, a number of developments involving the Administration, Israeli leaders, and various other actors (including Members of Congress) have affected U.S. policy. They include several controversies regarding Israeli-Palestinian issues, including the following:\nThe future of U.S. policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a possible two-state solution, and regional Arab involvement. \nIsraeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. \nA possible move of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.\nSpeculation surrounds what actions the President and Congress might take on Israeli-Palestinian issues in the coming weeks and months, and how Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders might respond. President Trump has stated aspirations to help broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement as the \u201cultimate deal.\u201d The President\u2019s advisors on Israeli issues include his senior advisor Jared Kushner (who is also his son-in-law), special envoy Jason Greenblatt, and U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman.\nSince 1967, hundreds of thousands of Israeli civilians have settled in territory that Israel has occupied militarily since that year\u2019s Arab-Israeli War. Approximately 385,900 Israelis lived in West Bank settlements in 2014, with about 201,200 more in East Jerusalem. These residential communities are located in areas that Palestinians claim as part of their envisioned future state. Israelis who defend the settlements\u2019 legitimacy generally cite some combination of legal, historical, strategic, nationalistic, or religious justifications, although Israeli opinion varies about different types of settlements in different locations. \nSuccessive U.S. Administrations of both political parties since 1948 have maintained that the fate of Jerusalem is to be decided by negotiations and have discouraged the parties from taking actions that could prejudice the final outcome of those negotiations. The Palestinians envisage East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state. However, the House of Representatives passed H.Con.Res. 60 in June 1997, and the Senate passed S.Con.Res. 21 in May 1997. Both resolutions called on the Clinton Administration to affirm that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel.\nAs a candidate, Donald Trump\u2014like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush when they were presidential candidates\u2014pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem. After the election a number of Trump\u2019s top aides reportedly stated that Trump intended to follow through on the pledge, and Trump himself said in response to a question on the subject shortly before his inauguration that he does not break promises. At his February 15 press conference with Netanyahu, the President said, \u201cAs far as the embassy moving to Jerusalem, I\u2019d love to see that happen. We\u2019re looking at it very, very strongly. We\u2019re looking at it with great care.\u201d\nA number of controversial domestic developments have taken place in 2017. Contention surrounding these issues may be greater given the possibility of early elections (legally, elections are required by 2019) if the governing coalition splits over Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, the criminal investigation into Netanyahu\u2019s conduct, or some other issue.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "46be3a2e4130f90459684248f5ae92f09871406b", "filename": "files/20170517_R44245_46be3a2e4130f90459684248f5ae92f09871406b.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "bf9ff40ca0eef425fcd233b73b589099d78a08c3", "filename": "files/20170517_R44245_bf9ff40ca0eef425fcd233b73b589099d78a08c3.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 459172, "date": "2017-02-24", "retrieved": "2017-03-01T17:37:04.652746", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014arose or intensified during the Obama Administration. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration, he and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have discussed ways \u201cto advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.\u201d\nSince late 2016, a number of developments involving President Trump, the Obama Administration, Israeli leaders, and various other actors (including Members of Congress) have affected U.S. policy. They include several controversies regarding Israeli-Palestinian issues amid the U.S. presidential transition, including the following.\nThe future of U.S. policy regarding a two-state solution and regional Arab involvement.\nIsraeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. \nA possible move of the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.\nAlso, in early January 2017, a legal probe of Prime Minister Netanyahu turned into a criminal investigation\u2014in connection with allegations of bribery and receipt of improper gifts\u2014that some observers speculate could threaten his term of office. Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations.\nSpeculation surrounds what actions the President and Congress might take on Israeli-Palestinian issues in the coming months. Trump has stated aspirations to help broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Other possible presidential or legislative initiatives could address these:\nU.S. aid to Israel and the Palestinians.\nU.S. policy on a two-state solution and other issues of dispute.\nU.S. contributions to and participation at the United Nations and other international bodies.\nU.S. approaches to other regional and international actors that have roles on Israeli-Palestinian issues.\nSince the Israeli-Palestinian peace process began in the early 1990s, U.S. policy had largely anticipated a negotiated conflict-ending outcome that would result in two states. In a White House press conference on February 15, 2017, with Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump made statements calling this policy into question.\nAmid anticipation that the Trump Administration would be less critical of official Israeli actions and statements on settlements and other Palestinian-related issues, Israeli officials continued announcing settlement plans or construction-related activities during the last months of the Obama Administration. In the context of the U.S. presidential transition, right-of-center Israeli figures appear to be more assertive in their efforts to consolidate Israeli claims to key areas of the West Bank.\nNetanyahu supported the advancement of legislation in the Knesset known as the Regulation Law, but the timing of its passage in early February reportedly ran counter to Netanyahu\u2019s preferences. The law is expected by many observers to be overturned by Israel\u2019s Supreme Court. Pending judicial action, the law authorizes the Israeli government to expropriate private Palestinian property in order to provide a basis for the legality (under Israeli law) of perhaps more than half of the approximately 100 settlement outposts in existence.\nOn December 23, 2016, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 by a vote of 14 in favor, zero against, and one abstention by the United States. In February 2011, the Obama Administration had vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution (UNSCR)\u2014approved by all 14 other members of the Security Council\u2014that also would have characterized Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal, and demanded cessation of settlement activities. The 2011 draft UNSCR did not contain language similar to UNSCR 2334 condemning terrorism and calling for actors to prevent violence and refrain from incitement. Susan Rice, then-U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, clarified that despite its veto, the Obama Administration opposed settlement construction as illegitimate and at cross-purposes with peace efforts. Over the course of several decades and Administrations, U.S. decisions to support, abstain from, or veto draft UNSCRs relating to Israeli-Palestinian issues have varied.\nTrump, as President-elect, publicly advocated a U.S. veto of UNSCR 2344 before the vote, and indicated after the vote and the Kerry speech that his approach to Israeli-Palestinian issues would be different. Prime Minister Netanyahu vehemently denounced the resolution and expressed his enthusiasm to work with the Trump Administration.\nAs a candidate, Donald Trump\u2014like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush when they were presidential candidates\u2014pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem. After the election a number of Trump\u2019s top aides reportedly stated that Trump intended to follow through on the pledge, and Trump himself said in response to a question on the subject shortly before his inauguration that he does not break promises. However, shortly after his inauguration, President Trump said it was too early to discuss a move. Prime Minister Netanyahu has voiced support for the relocation of the U.S. embassy and all other countries\u2019 embassies to Jerusalem, but has not made specific, time-based demands.\nGiven President Trump\u2019s regular criticism of the JCPOA (the 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran) during his candidacy, Prime Minister Netanyahu and some other Israeli leaders expressed hopes after Trump\u2019s victory that he might abrogate or significantly change U.S. participation in and implementation of the JCPOA.\nAs the Administration grapples with the issue, it is unclear to what extent Israel might influence U.S. decisionmaking regarding the JCPOA, economic sanctions targeting Iran, or how to address Iran\u2019s regional role.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "174c92d6df35d7070b2a9e05313402dd0d8bd42c", "filename": "files/20170224_R44245_174c92d6df35d7070b2a9e05313402dd0d8bd42c.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "78b1a6b64a6ab3a559bf7aa885f6c83c5f19c9b7", "filename": "files/20170224_R44245_78b1a6b64a6ab3a559bf7aa885f6c83c5f19c9b7.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 458878, "date": "2017-02-09", "retrieved": "2017-02-15T21:41:05.550043", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014arose or intensified during the Obama Administration. Since President Donald Trump\u2019s inauguration, he and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu have discussed ways \u201cto advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.\u201d\nSince late 2016, a number of developments involving President Trump, the Obama Administration, Israeli leaders, and various other actors (including Members of Congress) have affected U.S. policy. They include the following.\nSeveral controversies regarding Israeli-Palestinian issues amid the U.S. presidential transition, including Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.\nStatements indicating that the Trump Administration could move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.\nPublic efforts by Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to influence the incoming Administration\u2019s stance on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) and Iran\u2019s role in the region. \nAlso, in early January 2017, a legal probe of Prime Minister Netanyahu turned into a criminal investigation\u2014in connection with allegations of bribery and receipt of improper gifts\u2014that some observers speculate could threaten his term of office. Netanyahu has dismissed the allegations.\nAmid anticipation that the Trump Administration would be less critical of official Israeli actions and statements on settlements and other Palestinian-related issues, Israeli officials continued announcing settlement plans or construction-related activities during the last months of the Obama Administration. In the context of the U.S. presidential transition, right-of-center Israeli figures appear to be more assertive in their efforts to consolidate Israeli claims to key areas of the West Bank.\nNetanyahu supported the advancement of legislation in the Knesset known as the Regulation Law, but the timing of its passage in early February reportedly ran counter to Netanyahu\u2019s preferences. The law is expected by many observers to be overturned by Israel\u2019s Supreme Court. Pending judicial action, the law authorizes the Israeli government to expropriate private Palestinian property in order to provide a basis for the legality (under Israeli law) of perhaps more than half of the approximately 100 settlement outposts in existence.\nOn December 23, 2016, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 2334 by a vote of 14 in favor, zero against, and one abstention by the United States. In February 2011, the Obama Administration had vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution (UNSCR)\u2014approved by all 14 other members of the Security Council\u2014that also would have characterized Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal, and demanded cessation of settlement activities. The 2011 draft UNSCR did not contain language similar to UNSCR 2334 condemning terrorism and calling for actors to prevent violence and refrain from incitement. Susan Rice, then-U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, clarified that despite its veto, the Obama Administration opposed settlement construction as illegitimate and at cross-purposes with peace efforts. Over the course of several decades and Administrations, U.S. decisions to support, abstain from, or veto draft UNSCRs relating to Israeli-Palestinian issues have varied.\nTrump, as President-elect, publicly advocated a U.S. veto of UNSCR 2344 before the vote, and indicated after the vote and the Kerry speech that his approach to Israeli-Palestinian issues would be different. Prime Minister Netanyahu vehemently denounced the resolution and expressed his enthusiasm to work with the Trump Administration.\nThe consequences of the presidential transition, UNSCR 2334, and settlement-related developments are unclear. Will these developments substantively increase international leverage against Israel in its settlement activities or more broadly? Will they lead to greater determination among right-of-center Israeli leaders to disregard or actively challenge international initiatives or pressure via unilateral Israeli actions? Beyond the initiatives\u2019 respective scopes, will they have wider ripple effects on Israeli-Palestinian and regional dynamics? How will the Trump Administration affect these issues?\nSpeculation surrounds what actions the President and Congress might take on Israeli-Palestinian issues in the coming months. Trump has stated aspirations to help broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Other possible presidential or legislative initiatives could address:\nU.S. aid to Israel and the Palestinians.\nStanding U.S. policy on a two-state solution and other issues of dispute.\nU.S. contributions to and participation at the United Nations and other international bodies.\nU.S. approaches to other regional and international actors that have roles on Israeli-Palestinian issues.\nAs a candidate, Donald Trump\u2014like Bill Clinton and George W. Bush when they were presidential candidates\u2014pledged to move the embassy to Jerusalem. After the election a number of Trump\u2019s top aides reportedly stated that Trump intended to follow through on the pledge, and Trump himself said in response to a question on the subject shortly before his inauguration that he does not break promises. However, shortly after his inauguration, President Trump said it was too early to discuss a move. Prime Minister Netanyahu has voiced support for the relocation of the U.S. embassy and all other countries\u2019 embassies to Jerusalem, but has not made specific, time-based demands.\nGiven President Trump\u2019s regular criticism of the JCPOA (the 2015 international nuclear agreement with Iran) during his candidacy, Prime Minister Netanyahu and some other Israeli leaders expressed hopes after Trump\u2019s victory that he might abrogate or significantly change U.S. participation in and implementation of the JCPOA.\nAs the Administration grapples with the issue, it is unclear to what extent Israel might influence U.S. decisionmaking regarding the JCPOA, economic sanctions targeting Iran, or how to address Iran\u2019s regional role.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "5dcef59c1dee47e0f6da8a4a3b525dfd11e8e64d", "filename": "files/20170209_R44245_5dcef59c1dee47e0f6da8a4a3b525dfd11e8e64d.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "354b2a3334cb99a74bd4c17a5cf5ef8ed3c88b39", "filename": "files/20170209_R44245_354b2a3334cb99a74bd4c17a5cf5ef8ed3c88b39.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 458049, "date": "2017-01-06", "retrieved": "2017-01-06T19:11:02.994152", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, U.S. and Israeli policies have diverged on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably Iran and the Palestinians\u2014have arisen or intensified since 2009, during the tenures of President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. \nSince the 2016 U.S. election, a number of developments involving President-elect Donald Trump, the Obama Administration, Israeli leaders, and various other actors (including Members of Congress) have arisen. These developments have already affected U.S. policy in relation to Israel or are likely to affect it following Trump\u2019s inauguration; they include the following.\nSeveral controversies regarding Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including the U.N. Security Council\u2019s adoption of Resolution 2334 (UNSCR 2334) on December 23, 2016, via a 14-0 vote and U.S. abstention.\nPrinciples advanced as a possible basis for future Israeli-Palestinian negotiations by Secretary of State John Kerry on December 28, 2016, and other statements and actions related to issues of Israeli-Palestinian dispute as the U.S. presidential transition approaches.\nThe possibility that the incoming Administration could move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.\nPublic efforts by Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to influence the incoming Administration\u2019s stance on the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA). \nAlso, in early January 2017, a legal probe of Prime Minister Netanyahu turned into a full-fledged criminal investigation\u2014in connection with possibly unlawful receipt of gifts\u2014that some observers speculate could threaten his term of office. Netanyahu has stated that the allegations of misconduct constitute \u201cpersecution\u201d and insisted that they would come to nothing.\nThe consequences of the U.S. and international initiatives are unclear. Will they substantively increase international leverage against Israel in its settlement activities or more broadly? Will they lead to greater determination among right-of-center Israeli leaders to disregard or even flout international initiatives or pressure via unilateral Israeli actions? Beyond the initiatives\u2019 specific scope, will they have wider ripple effects on Israeli-Palestinian and regional dynamics?\nVarious aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict appear unchanged by recent diplomatic developments. Israel maintains overarching control of the security environment in Israel and the West Bank. Palestinians remain divided between a Palestinian Authority (PA) administration with limited self-rule in specified West Bank urban areas, led by the Fatah movement and President Mahmoud Abbas, and a de facto Hamas administration in the Gaza Strip. Both the PA and Hamas face major questions regarding future leadership and succession. There has been little or no change in the gaps between Israeli and Palestinian positions on key issues of dispute since the last round of direct talks broke down in April 2014. Since 2011, Arab states that have traditionally championed the Palestinian cause have been more preoccupied with their own internal concerns, and many have built or strengthened informal ties with Israel based on common concerns regarding Iran and its regional influence.\nAs Trump prepares to take office, reports indicate that his close advisors on Israeli issues include his chief strategist Stephen Bannon, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and lawyer David Friedman\u2014his nominee to be U.S. ambassador to Israel. Friedman\u2019s nomination\u2014subject to Senate approval\u2014has attracted attention because of his past statements and financial efforts in support of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and his sharp criticism of the Obama Administration, some Members of Congress, and some American Jews. (Judy Maltz, \u201cDavid Friedman Raised Millions for Radical West Bank Jewish Settlers,\u201d Ha\u2019aretz, December 16, 2016, and Matthew Rosenberg, \u201cTrump Chooses Hard-Liner as Ambassador to Israel,\u201d New York Times, December 15, 2016.)\nSpeculation surrounds what actions the President-elect and Congress might take on Israeli-Palestinian issues in the coming months. Friedman and a number of other aides have stated that the President-elect is serious about implementing his campaign pledge to move the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Trump has stated aspirations to help broker a final-status Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Other possible presidential or legislative initiatives could address:\nU.S. aid to Israel and the Palestinians.\nStanding U.S. policy on a two-state solution and other issues of dispute.\nU.S. contributions to and participation at the United Nations and other international bodies.\nU.S. approaches to other regional and international actors that have roles on Israeli-Palestinian issues.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "69c9f47edf6e3e1d08da2d44f4fb5474df3f22fe", "filename": "files/20170106_R44245_69c9f47edf6e3e1d08da2d44f4fb5474df3f22fe.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "8bb000c2182aaeb2f5fce0464fc59034d9398d97", "filename": "files/20170106_R44245_8bb000c2182aaeb2f5fce0464fc59034d9398d97.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 456811, "date": "2016-10-28", "retrieved": "2016-11-21T15:14:18.694441", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Israel\u2019s security has significant relevance for U.S. interests in the Middle East, and Congress plays an active role in shaping and overseeing U.S. relations with Israel. This report focuses on the following:\nRecent dynamics in U.S.-Israel relations and security cooperation.\nAddressing regional threats Israel perceives.\nCurrent domestic political issues. \nSome Israeli-Palestinian developments.\nFor additional information and analysis, see CRS Report RL33476, Israel: Background and U.S. Relations, by Jim Zanotti; CRS Report RL33222, U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, by Jeremy M. Sharp; and CRS Report R44281, Israel and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, coordinated by Jim Zanotti.\nFor decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, aligning U.S. and Israeli policies has presented challenges on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably with Iran and the Palestinians\u2014have arisen or intensified since 2009, during the tenures of President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Israeli leaders have expressed some concerns about the U.S. posture in the region and the potential implications for Israel, while U.S. officials have periodically shown unease regarding the compatibility of some Israeli statements and actions with overall U.S. regional and international interests. However, both governments say that bilateral cooperation has continued and even increased by many measures in a number of areas such as defense, trade, and energy.\nCurrently, Israeli leaders and numerous other observers publicly identify Iran and two of its non-state allies\u2014Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip\u2014as particularly significant security threats to Israel. Others include Palestinian attacks emanating from the West Bank and Jerusalem and threats from terrorist groups operating near Israel\u2019s borders with Syria and Egypt.\nIsraeli officials\u2019 interests in enhancing their country\u2019s security via additional U.S. measures also have influenced a new 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) on annual U.S. military aid that is anticipated to become effective\u2014pending congressional action\u2014in FY2019. In addition to the $3.1 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) Israel currently receives, the United States annually provides hundreds of millions of dollars from Defense Department accounts for missile defense programs based in Israel.\nSignificant U.S.-Israel security cooperation exists in the realms of military aid, arms sales, joint exercises, and information sharing. It has also included periodic U.S.-Israel governmental and industrial cooperation in developing military technology. \nU.S. military aid has helped transform Israel\u2019s armed forces into one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world. This aid for Israel has been designed to maintain Israel\u2019s \u201cqualitative military edge\u201d (QME) over neighboring militaries, because Israel must rely on better equipment and training to compensate for a manpower deficit in any potential regional conflict. U.S. military aid, a portion of which may be spent on procurement from Israeli defense companies, also has helped Israel build and sustain a domestic defense industry, and Israel in turn ranks as one of the top exporters of arms worldwide.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of the Likud party presides over a coalition government that includes six parties generally characterized as right of center. Netanyahu has been prime minister since March 2009, and also served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999. One commentator has said that Israelis keep returning Netanyahu to office \u201cprecisely because he is risk averse: no needless wars, but no ambitious peace plans either.\u201d However, Netanyahu\u2019s position could be imperiled if an ongoing attorney general\u2019s corruption probe leads to a formal criminal investigation and possibly an indictment. Additionally, the varying interests of the current coalition\u2019s members and some intra-party rifts\u2014particularly within Likud\u2014contribute to difficulties in building consensus on the following issues: \nHow to address an interrelated set of concerns relating to national security, freedom of expression, competing ideologies, and international influence; and\nHow to promote macroeconomic strength while addressing popular concerns regarding economic inequality and cost of living.\nOfficial U.S. policy continues to favor a \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d to address core Israeli security demands as well as Palestinian aspirations for national self-determination. Continued failure by Israelis and Palestinians to make progress toward a negotiated solution could have a number of regional and global implications. Israeli actions regarding security arrangements and settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem could have ramifications for the resolution of final-status issues. Palestinian leaders support initiatives to advance their statehood claims and appear to be encouraging international legal and economic pressure on Israel in an effort to improve the Palestinian position vis-\u00e0-vis Israel. U.S. and international efforts to preserve the viability of a negotiated two-state solution attract skepticism because of regional turmoil and domestic reluctance among key Israeli and Palestinian leaders and constituencies to contemplate political or territorial concessions.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "2038561bc3885c803b9c92fdfe8b31cc943624e9", "filename": "files/20161028_R44245_2038561bc3885c803b9c92fdfe8b31cc943624e9.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "bc20fc41d91b3cbaa938d446ab2cbd41a5abcfb9", "filename": "files/20161028_R44245_bc20fc41d91b3cbaa938d446ab2cbd41a5abcfb9.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455924, "date": "2016-09-16", "retrieved": "2016-10-17T19:27:03.033391", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Israel\u2019s security has significant relevance for U.S. interests in the Middle East, and Congress plays an active role in shaping and overseeing U.S. relations with Israel. This report focuses on the following:\nRecent dynamics in U.S.-Israel relations and security cooperation.\nAddressing regional threats Israel perceives, including via a new memorandum of understanding on U.S. military aid to Israel.\nCurrent domestic political issues. \nSome Israeli-Palestinian developments.\nFor additional information and analysis, see CRS Report RL33476, Israel: Background and U.S. Relations, by Jim Zanotti; CRS Report RL33222, U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, by Jeremy M. Sharp; and CRS Report R44281, Israel and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, coordinated by Jim Zanotti.\nFor decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, aligning U.S. and Israeli policies has presented challenges on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably with Iran and the Palestinians\u2014have arisen or intensified since 2009, during the tenures of President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Israeli leaders have expressed some concerns about the U.S. posture in the region and the potential implications for Israel, while U.S. officials have periodically shown unease regarding the compatibility of some Israeli statements and actions with overall U.S. regional and international interests. However, both governments say that bilateral cooperation has continued and even increased by many measures in a number of areas such as defense, trade, and energy.\nCurrently, Israeli leaders and numerous other observers publicly identify Iran and two of its non-state allies\u2014Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip\u2014as particularly significant security threats to Israel. Others include Palestinian attacks emanating from the West Bank and Jerusalem, threats from terrorist groups operating near Israel\u2019s borders with Syria and Egypt, the potential instability of Jordan\u2019s monarchy, and the possibility that some Arab countries might consider using their advanced weaponry against Israel in the event of significant political change.\nIsraeli officials\u2019 interests in enhancing their country\u2019s security via additional U.S. measures also have influenced a new 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) on annual U.S. military aid that is anticipated to become effective\u2014pending congressional action\u2014in FY2019. In addition to the $3.1 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) Israel currently receives, the United States annually provides hundreds of millions of dollars from Defense Department accounts for missile defense programs based in Israel. As the two countries discuss future U.S. military aid to Israel, they are reportedly also contemplating a number of arms sales. Such sales include F-35 (Lightning II) next-generation fighter aircraft, and may also include V-22 Ospreys, as well as greater numbers and expedited delivery of advanced F-15s, refueling planes, and precision weapons.\nSignificant U.S.-Israel security cooperation exists in the realms of military aid, arms sales, joint exercises, and information sharing. It has also included periodic U.S.-Israel governmental and industrial cooperation in developing military technology. \nU.S. military aid has helped transform Israel\u2019s armed forces into one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world. This aid for Israel has been designed to maintain Israel\u2019s \u201cqualitative military edge\u201d (QME) over neighboring militaries, because Israel must rely on better equipment and training to compensate for a manpower deficit in any potential regional conflict. U.S. military aid, a portion of which may be spent on procurement from Israeli defense companies, also has helped Israel build and sustain a domestic defense industry, and Israel in turn ranks as one of the top 10 exporters of arms worldwide.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of the Likud party presides over a coalition government that includes six parties generally characterized as right of center. Netanyahu has been prime minister since March 2009, and also served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999. One commentator has said that Israelis keep returning Netanyahu to office \u201cprecisely because he is risk averse: no needless wars, but no ambitious peace plans either.\u201d However, Netanyahu\u2019s position could be imperiled if an ongoing attorney general\u2019s corruption probe leads to a formal criminal investigation and possibly an indictment. Additionally, the varying interests of the current coalition\u2019s members and some intra-party rifts\u2014particularly within Likud\u2014contribute to difficulties in building consensus on the following issues: \nHow to address an interrelated set of concerns relating to national security, freedom of expression, competing ideologies, and international influence; and\nHow to promote macroeconomic strength while addressing popular concerns regarding economic inequality and cost of living.\nOfficial U.S. policy continues to favor a \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d to address core Israeli security demands as well as Palestinian aspirations for national self-determination. Continued failure by Israelis and Palestinians to make progress toward a negotiated solution could have a number of regional and global implications. Israeli actions regarding security arrangements and settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem could have ramifications for the resolution of final-status issues. Palestinian leaders support initiatives to advance their statehood claims and appear to be encouraging international legal and economic pressure on Israel in an effort to improve the Palestinian position vis-\u00e0-vis Israel. U.S. and international efforts to preserve the viability of a negotiated two-state solution attract skepticism because of regional turmoil and domestic reluctance among key Israeli and Palestinian leaders and constituencies to contemplate political or territorial concessions.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "17f9a199a2d41f67cd662b48e8c26c5394d62c7c", "filename": "files/20160916_R44245_17f9a199a2d41f67cd662b48e8c26c5394d62c7c.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "27ffd55bab47dc9b6046a7fc47aa47dfe4f8325a", "filename": "files/20160916_R44245_27ffd55bab47dc9b6046a7fc47aa47dfe4f8325a.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 4758, "name": "Middle East & North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 455099, "date": "2016-07-26", "retrieved": "2016-09-09T19:07:22.258470", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations in Brief", "summary": "Israel\u2019s security has significant relevance for U.S. interests in the Middle East, and Congress plays an active role in shaping and overseeing U.S. relations with Israel. This report focuses on the following:\nRecent dynamics in U.S.-Israel relations and security cooperation.\nAddressing regional threats Israel perceives, including via a new memorandum of understanding on U.S. military aid to Israel that is currently being negotiated.\nCurrent domestic political issues, including on energy matters. \nIsraeli-Palestinian developments.\nFor additional information and analysis, see CRS Report RL33476, Israel: Background and U.S. Relations, by Jim Zanotti; CRS Report RL33222, U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel, by Jeremy M. Sharp; and CRS Report R44281, Israel and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement, coordinated by Jim Zanotti.\nFor decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. Nonetheless, at various points throughout the relationship, aligning U.S. and Israeli policies has presented challenges on some important issues. Significant differences regarding regional issues\u2014notably with Iran and the Palestinians\u2014have arisen or intensified since 2009, during the tenures of President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. Israeli leaders have expressed some concerns about the U.S. posture in the region and the potential implications for Israel, while U.S. officials have periodically shown unease regarding the compatibility of some Israeli statements and actions with overall U.S. regional and international interests. However, both governments say that bilateral cooperation has continued and even increased by many measures in a number of areas such as defense, trade, and energy.\nCurrently, Israeli leaders and numerous other observers publicly identify Iran and two of its non-state allies\u2014Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip\u2014as particularly significant security threats to Israel. Others include Palestinian attacks emanating from the West Bank and Jerusalem, threats from terrorist groups operating near Israel\u2019s borders with Syria and Egypt, the potential instability of Jordan\u2019s monarchy, and the possibility that some Arab countries might consider using their advanced weaponry against Israel in the event of significant political change.\nIsraeli officials\u2019 interests in enhancing their country\u2019s security via additional U.S. measures also influence ongoing negotiations for a new 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) on annual U.S. military aid that is anticipated to become effective\u2014pending congressional action\u2014in FY2019. In addition to the $3.1 billion per year in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) Israel currently receives, the United States annually provides hundreds of millions of dollars from Defense Department accounts for missile defense programs based in Israel. As the two countries discuss future U.S. military aid to Israel, they are reportedly also contemplating a number of arms sales. Such sales include F-35 (Lightning II) next-generation fighter aircraft, and may also include V-22 Ospreys, as well as greater numbers and expedited delivery of advanced F-15s, refueling planes, and precision weapons.\nSignificant U.S.-Israel security cooperation exists in the realms of military aid, arms sales, joint exercises, and information sharing. It has also included periodic U.S.-Israel governmental and industrial cooperation in developing military technology. \nU.S. military aid has helped transform Israel\u2019s armed forces into one of the most technologically sophisticated militaries in the world. This aid for Israel has been designed to maintain Israel\u2019s \u201cqualitative military edge\u201d (QME) over neighboring militaries, because Israel must rely on better equipment and training to compensate for a manpower deficit in any potential regional conflict. U.S. military aid, a portion of which may be spent on procurement from Israeli defense companies, also has helped Israel build and sustain a domestic defense industry, and Israel in turn ranks as one of the top 10 exporters of arms worldwide.\nIsraeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of the Likud party presides over a coalition government that includes six parties generally characterized as right of center. Netanyahu has been prime minister since March 2009, and also served as prime minister from 1996 to 1999. One commentator has said that Israelis keep returning Netanyahu to office \u201cprecisely because he is risk averse: no needless wars, but no ambitious peace plans either.\u201d However, Netanyahu\u2019s position could be imperiled if an ongoing attorney general\u2019s corruption probe leads to a formal criminal investigation and possibly an indictment. Additionally, the varying interests of the current coalition\u2019s members and some intra-party rifts\u2014particularly within Likud\u2014contribute to difficulties in building consensus on the following issues: \nHow to address an interrelated set of concerns relating to national security, freedom of expression, competing ideologies, and international influence; and\nHow to promote macroeconomic strength while addressing popular concerns regarding economic inequality and cost of living.\nIsrael is also in the midst of a political and legal battle over the future of Israel\u2019s offshore natural gas fields.\nOfficial U.S. policy continues to favor a \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d to address core Israeli security demands as well as Palestinian aspirations for national self-determination. Continued failure by Israelis and Palestinians to make progress toward a negotiated solution could have a number of regional and global implications. Israeli actions regarding security arrangements and settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem could have ramifications for the resolution of final-status issues. Palestinian leaders support initiatives to advance their statehood claims and appear to be encouraging international legal and economic pressure on Israel in an effort to improve the Palestinian position vis-\u00e0-vis Israel. U.S. and international efforts to preserve the viability of a negotiated two-state solution attract skepticism because of regional turmoil and domestic reluctance among key Israeli and Palestinian leaders and constituencies to contemplate political or territorial concessions.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "7579d5bd891f4b147f1293cc84e70561a6e765e5", "filename": "files/20160726_R44245_7579d5bd891f4b147f1293cc84e70561a6e765e5.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "7b12bb6d94afb26a9b2f49a0ff19ca47124281f0", "filename": "files/20160726_R44245_7b12bb6d94afb26a9b2f49a0ff19ca47124281f0.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 282, "name": "Middle East and North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 450849, "date": "2016-03-16", "retrieved": "2016-03-24T16:52:33.972492", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations In Brief", "summary": "For decades, strong bilateral relations have fueled and reinforced significant U.S.-Israel cooperation in many areas, including regional security. At the same time, at various points throughout the relationship, aligning U.S. and Israeli policies has presented challenges on some important issues. Israeli leaders appear to have some concerns about U.S. regional commitments and their potential implications for Israel, but overall bilateral cooperation has continued and even increased by many measures in a number of fields such as defense, trade, and energy.\nThe longtime U.S. commitment to Israel\u2019s security and \u201cqualitative military edge\u201d in the region has sought to enable Israel to defend itself against threats it perceives, which in recent years have largely come from Iran and groups Iran supports such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The political complement to this cooperation has been U.S. efforts to encourage Israel and other regional actors to improve relations with one another. Notable U.S.-Israel differences regarding Iran and the Palestinians have arisen or intensified since 2009 under the leadership of President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, though both governments insist that the legacy and continuation of bilateral cooperation on several different levels outweigh any policy disagreements. During that same time, regional developments have increased Israel\u2019s concerns about threats near its borders, while also presenting opportunities for Israel to make common cause with some Arab states in countering Iranian influence and questioning the level and nature of U.S. engagement in the region on behalf of its traditional partners.\nIsrael\u2019s opposition to the July 2015 announcement of an international comprehensive agreement on Iran\u2019s nuclear program was rooted in a context of deep Israeli concern over the issue. For years, Israeli leaders have described Iran and its reported pursuit of a nuclear breakout capacity as an imminent threat, though there are a range of views among Israeli officials and analysts regarding how to address the threat and the potential implications it has for Israel\u2019s security and its international relationships. Reportedly ongoing U.S.-Israel consultations on aid and arms sales appear to reflect a shift by Israeli officials away from opposing the nuclear deal, and toward insisting on its enforcement.\nIsrael\u2019s deterrence posture vis-\u00e0-vis Hezbollah may be affected by developments in Lebanon and Syria as well as by the Iranian nuclear deal. At times during the conflict in Syria both before and after this incident, Israel has fired on targets in Syria in response to actual or threatened cross-border fire into Israeli-controlled territory or in attempts to prevent arms transfers to Hezbollah in Lebanon. As Russian aircraft have become directly involved in Syria in the fall of 2015, Israel and Russia have sought to establish a \u201cjoint mechanism for preventing misunderstandings.\u201d Sunni Salafi-jihadist activity in the region since 2014\u2014particularly involving the Islamic State organization (IS, also known as ISIS/ISIL, or by the Arabic acronym Da\u2019esh)\u2014has also deepened Israeli concerns regarding the security of neighboring Jordan, Egypt, and Gaza.\nOfficial U.S. policy on Israeli-Palestinian issues continues to focus on pursuing a \u201ctwo-state solution\u201d that addresses core Israeli security demands and Palestinian aspirations for national self-determination, and the Obama Administration is reportedly considering whether to pursue one or more options offering a blueprint for future talks. Tensions and violence have generally increased since the end of negotiations in April 2014. The dynamic appears to be partly linked to specific incidents and the responses they trigger, and partly to cyclical patterns of protest and confrontation. The most recent escalation began in September 2015 at the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif (\u201cHoly Esplanade\u201d) in East Jerusalem. Observers debate whether another Palestinian intifada (or uprising) might be underway or imminent. The increase in violence has also led to questions about heightened Israeli security measures, in terms of both their efficacy and their legal implications\u2014locally and internationally. One concern among Israeli, Palestinian Authority (PA), and international officials appears to be that further escalation could strengthen political support for extremists on both sides. For additional information on the PA security forces\u2014some of whom receive training and equipment from the United States and other countries\u2014and their coordination with Israel amid ongoing violence and tension, see CRS Report RS22967, U.S. Foreign Aid to the Palestinians, by Jim Zanotti.\nDomestic debates in Israel focus largely on the following questions:\nHow to address an interrelated set of concerns relating to national security, freedom of expression, competing ideologies, and international influence.\nHow to promote macroeconomic strength while addressing popular concerns regarding economic inequality and cost of living.\nIn early 2016, the Israeli public and international observers have vigorously debated a Netanyahu-supported bill in the Knesset that would require non-governmental organizations (NGOs) receiving more than half their funding from foreign governments to officially declare the funding sources and have their representatives wear special tags when doing business at the Knesset. In December 2015, an Israeli media source with a traditionally left-of-center viewpoint published two articles citing evidence that U.S.-based nonprofit groups had sent millions of dollars of tax-deductible private donations in recent years to support Jewish settlements or infrastructure in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The \u201cNGO bill\u201d debate is connected with larger controversies involving Europe-Israel relations and intensified Jewish nationalist criticisms of domestic human rights groups amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian violence.\nIn December 2015, Netanyahu finalized the government\u2019s approval of a deal that will allow a consortium led by U.S.-based Noble Energy and Israel\u2019s Delek Group to develop an offshore natural gas field known as Leviathan in exchange for some domestic price regulation and an agreement by Noble and Delek to sell or reduce their stakes in other offshore projects.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": true, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R44245", "sha1": "c068edbbc15df5a9c4531d8ba1cba9d7e38810c6", "filename": "files/20160316_R44245_c068edbbc15df5a9c4531d8ba1cba9d7e38810c6.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R44245", "sha1": "627330dc786b28a0614b13947997dc908b509074", "filename": "files/20160316_R44245_627330dc786b28a0614b13947997dc908b509074.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [ { "source": "IBCList", "id": 282, "name": "Middle East and North Africa" } ] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc795616/", "id": "R44245_2015Oct23", "date": "2015-10-23", "retrieved": "2016-01-13T14:26:20", "title": "Israel: Background and U.S. Relations In Brief", "summary": "This report focuses on the following: Recent dynamics in U.S.-Israel relations, U.S.-Israel next steps following the July 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, regional threats Israel perceives from Hezbollah, Syria, and elsewhere, recently intensified Israeli-Palestinian tensions and violence in connection with Jerusalem's holy sites, and domestic political developments in Israel.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20151023_R44245_091530967a498936f88c21fc72ef38a7f86f42e1.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20151023_R44245_091530967a498936f88c21fc72ef38a7f86f42e1.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign policy", "name": "Foreign policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- Israel -- U.S.", "name": "Foreign relations -- Israel -- U.S." }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Israel", "name": "Foreign relations -- U.S. -- Israel" } ] } ], "topics": [ "African Affairs", "Foreign Affairs", "Intelligence and National Security", "Middle Eastern Affairs", "National Defense" ] }