Explore the Special History of the US-Israel Relationship

US-Israel Relations before 1948

The US-Israel relationship officially began in 1948 when Israel declared statehood. However, US President John Tyler had appointed the first American consul to Jerusalem more than 100 years prior, in 1844. By 1857, the United States’ permanent consular presence was established in a building near the Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City.

Woodrow Wilson was the first US President to vocalize his support for Zionism. Just before the Balfour Declaration was released in 1919, Wilson said, “I am persuaded that the Allied nations with the fullest concurrence of our own Government and people are agreed that in Palestine shall be laid the foundation of a future Jewish commonwealth.” A few years later, in 1922, the United States Congress passed the Lodge-Fish resolution, which stated its support for “the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people.”

By the time David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s independence and the establishment of the Jewish state, President Harry S. Truman ensured that the US was the first country to recognize Israeli sovereignty.

The US-Israel Relationship after 1948

During Israel’s earliest years, the US provided moderate economic aid to the newly-formed state.

It wasn’t until the early 1960s, during the Kennedy administration, that America and Israel formed a military alliance, allowing the two countries to work together to develop defense technology, advance shared interests, and run joint military exercises. Israel also began purchasing advanced military equipment from the United States, such as the Hawk antiaircraft missiles. President John F. Kennedy was the first US President to outwardly beam about the “special relationship” between America and Israel.

In the 1970s, America began to function as a peacemaker and mediator between Israel and Arab states. US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger worked hard with Israel’s Prime Minister Golda Meir to calm tensions post-1967 between Egypt and Israel.

In June 1974, US President Richard Nixon became the first American President to visit Israel while in office. During his two days in the Holy Land, Nixon met with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who “expressed Israel’s appreciation for the outstanding and effective role of the United States in the quest for peace under the leadership of President Nixon assisted by the tireless efforts of Secretary Kissinger and indicated Israel’s intention to participate in further negotiations with a view to achieving peace treaties with its neighbors which will permit each State to pursue its legitimate rights in dignity and security,” according to a joint statement issued after Nixon’s visit.

By 1979, President Jimmy Carter was able to broker the official peace treaty between Egypt and Israel after hosting the first Camp David retreat in Maryland, which brought together Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Carter also visited Israel and spoke at the Knesset.

When Ronald Reagan became America’s 40th president in 1981, the State of Israel swiftly communicated with the White House and conveyed their interest in continuing and strengthening the US-Israel alliance. This led to the joint signing of the Military Cooperation Agreement of 1981, which created a framework for continued consultation and cooperation to benefit both countries’ national security.

Iraqi aggressions and threats against Israel led President George H.W. Bush to also reaffirm America’s commitment to Israel’s safety throughout the early 1990s. Bush was also an instrumental part behind the Madrid Peace Conference. In October 1994, President Bill Clinton helped Jordan and Israel reach an important peace agreement. Clinton also traveled to Israel four times between 1994 and 1998.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s the Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations also supported Israel via trips to Jerusalem; through instructing US ambassadors to the UN to defend Israel; by increasing military and defense aid; and by working hard to continue to strengthen the ties between the two countries. Notably, the US Embassy to Israel was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, by the Trump administration.

The relationship between the United States and Israel extends far beyond diplomacy. It is built on decades of close cooperation in trade, defense, intelligence, technology, and scientific research, making it one of America's closest strategic partnerships.

A Strong Economic Partnership

The United States is Israel's largest single-country trading partner. Together, the two countries conduct more than $55 billion in trade every year in goods and services.

That relationship has deep roots. In 1985, the United States and Israel signed the first free trade agreement ever concluded by the United States, helping bilateral trade grow more than eleven-fold over the following decades.

Partners in Security

Security cooperation remains one of the cornerstones of the alliance.

Under a ten-year Memorandum of Understanding covering 2019–2028, the United States provides $3.8 billion annually in military assistance. This includes $500 million each year dedicated to jointly developed missile defense systems such as Iron Dome and David's Sling.

The partnership also includes:

• Close intelligence sharing on regional security threats.
• Regular joint military exercises between American and Israeli forces.
• Cooperation on advanced defense technologies.
• Additional emergency military assistance during periods of conflict.
• Diplomatic support, including frequent US vetoes of UN Security Council resolutions viewed as unfairly targeting the State of Israel.

Benefits for Both Nations

The alliance is not a one-way relationship. Most US military assistance is spent purchasing equipment from American defense manufacturers, supporting jobs and industry in the United States.

The two countries also work together on research and technological innovation. The Iron Dome missile defense system, for example, was jointly funded and is co-produced in the United States, with technologies developed through the partnership now benefiting the US military as well.

Allies in Action

Since the attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing Israel-Hamas war, the United States has provided key diplomatic and military support to Israel. Joe Biden became the first US president to visit Israel during wartime, a gesture remembered with deep gratitude by the Israeli people. The US military also actively assisted the Israeli Air Force in defending Israel against Iran's attacks in April and October 2024, as well as in June 2025.

This unprecedented level of real-time military collaboration demonstrated the remarkable cooperation between the two allies. Building on their shared operations during the Twelve-Day War with Iran in June 2025, the seamless integration of US and Israeli air defenses, intelligence, and tactical coordination reached new heights during the joint campaign against Iranian threats in early 2026. The alliance proved exceptionally successful and demonstrated the true depth of the bilateral defense partnership.

Looking to the Future

As Israel's economy continues to grow – approaching a valuation of $1 trillion – its relationship with the United States is gradually evolving. Israeli leaders have increasingly discussed the long-term goal of reducing reliance on American military assistance as the country's economy becomes more capable of funding its own defense.

Rather than weakening the alliance, this reflects the natural evolution of a mature partnership: two close allies working together while each contributes from a position of growing strength.

Throughout Israel today, you can find many nods toward the special bond between these two countries.

A town in the Golan Heights renamed itself Trump Heights in 2019. Other tokens of friendship include Jerusalem’s 9/11 memorial, streets in various Israeli cities named after George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, and Yad Kennedy, a park and memorial outside Jerusalem that stands in honor of JFK.

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