Pompeo assures Israel of continued support

The US 'withdrawal' from Syria might not mean the end of all its Syria-related operations where Israel is concerned, as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed Washington’s ongoing commitment to Israel’s security.

Background

Israel and the US are staunch allies. Israel plays a key role in America’s overall policy in the Middle East. Israel was the largest annual recipient of American aid from 1976 to 2004. It receives $3 billion in grants every year from the US through Foreign Military Financing (FMF).

Israel also looks to the US to support it during many conflicts that arise in the region. The US Congress has always prioritized Israel in its agenda. The US has used its position as a member of the UN Security Council to veto 42 resolutions that may have affected Israel. The two nations have also traditionally shared intelligence with one another. Israel remains a major purchaser of US military equipment.

The two nations also regularly engage in joint military exercises and jointly develop military technology. The relations are a very important factor in the United States government's overall policy in the Middle East, and Congress has placed considerable importance on the maintenance of a close and supportive relationship.

Analysis

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US’ commitment to Israel was unchanged, despite the pull-out of US troops from Syria announced by the Trump administration last month. Pompeo said that the US effort to “counter Iranian aggression” would continue along with the “protection of Israel” just as it had before.

The talks between Pompeo and Netanyahu in Brasilia are set to focus on the US withdrawal and how the US-Israeli cooperation will work going forward. Before the meeting, Netanyahu said there was “a lot” to discuss including how to “intensify even further our intelligence and operations cooperation in Syria and elsewhere to block Iranian aggression in the Middle East.”

Earlier, Trump had reassured Israel that the US would “take great care” of Israel despite the withdrawal, citing the billions in foreign aid Washington gives to Israel every year.

Netanyahu said he was very appreciative of the “strong support and unequivocal support” from the US in its efforts at “self-defence” against Syria and Hezbollah. He also praised the Israeli Defence Forces last week after they carried out strikes against alleged 'Iranian targets' on Christmas Day, endangering two civilian flights in the process.

Trump declared victory over ISIS in Syria and announced a US troop withdrawal in December — a move which angered many top military figures. On Monday, an anonymous senior Israeli source said that Trump had responded positively to a request from Netanyahu to stagger the US exit from Syria.

“The counter-ISIS campaign continues,” said Pompeo before a meeting with Netanyahu in Brasilia, where they both attended the inauguration of new Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. “Our efforts to counter Iranian aggression continue, and our commitment to Middle East stability and the protection of Israel continues in the same way it did before that decision was made.”

This was the second meeting between Netanyahu and Pompeo in a month. Netanyahu flew to Brussels on December 3 to meet Pompeo, who was there for a NATO meeting, a day before Israel announced its Operation Northern Shield to uncover and destroy Hezbollah tunnels in the North.

Assessment

Our assessment is that the US’s decision to withdraw from Syria will leave a large power vacuum in the region which could pose a threat to Israel. We believe that resurgent Pro-Assad forces will mount a major offensive on the remaining anti-Assad rebel groups which will cause further migrations from the region.

Read more:

• US withdraws troops from Syria