Israel Homeland Security - Essay Example

Homeland Security The relationship between the US and Israel has been in coexistence and forms an important factor for the overall policy in the Middle East. The United States government has placed the relationship on the importance since both countries maintains a close and supportive relationship. Israel has lately been the biggest beneficiary of US aid since 1974 to 2004 amounting to $3 billion annually. Moreover, the country has been the largest overall beneficiary of the aid since World War 2. The bilateral relationship between the two countries has contributed greatly to changes in the administrative policies in both countries, especially the Homeland Security in the US. Most of the aid to Israel now occurs inform of military aid and assistance as compared to the previous ages where the Israel benefited more from economic assistance. Most importantly, the congressional support for the bilateral relationship has made Israel to receive beneficially from the US that is not available to other nations. This essay looks at how Israel has changed, modified, added, or subtracted to the Homeland Security. US Chamber of Commerce (2012), posits that bilateral relationship between the US and Israel can be traced back to 1948 when the US developed a policy of sympathy and support towards the creation of Jewish country. Israel is a small but powerful country in terms of its military but it is dependent on the US for its economic progress as well as military support. The US is a superpower nation that tries to balance other competing powers in the gulf region. The bilateral relationship between the two nations has raised controversies due to the general commitment of the US to Israel. A large number of people argue that US are biased towards Israel and operate at the expense of improved relationship with various Arab and Muslim nations such as Palestine and Iran. To the contrary, Israel is a strategic ally of the US and their relationships works to strengthen the US presence in the Middle East. Israel is one of the major non-NATO allies of the US in the Middle East. Americans on the other hand, have viewed Israel as with more appreciation for its effort towards using democracy and its outstanding economic development with a resolute struggle against uncompromised enemies (BBC News, 2004). Israel as a country is mostly composed of Jewish people. The American relationship with the Jewish people can be traced back to 1912 when the American Jews started to give support to Zionism. The deep influence of Jewish tradition on the American fore fathers can be seen in the Constitution. Some of the fore fathers of America such as Woodrow Wilson note that the relationship between America and the Jewish people formed a foundation, which shaped the bilateral relationship. Woodrow Wilson notes that the American colonists’ code was because of the unending relationship with his Israel Jewish counterparts. The American colonists employed the Mosaic Code to the order of their internal life. Homeland Security in the US entails a wide range of stakeholders in both the public and the private sector and has been a major area of collaboration between the US and Israel. Homeland Security in the US is majorly borrowed from Israel security system that it uses to protect its country. Its services include subsectors such as protection of border of the country using sophisticated technologies, and cyber security systems. The US Homeland Security as well as the Israeli Homeland Security system has been working together for quite some time and share intelligence and commercials aspects in different unprecedented ways (US Chamber of Commerce, 2012). One of the major result of the long-standing defense relationship shared Homeland Security systems between the US and Israel is a major spillover effect. The government of the US has also engaged private sector defense into its Homeland Security system in order to protect the country, a concept borrowed from Israel intelligence. Homeland Security system in the US is because of the good reputation that the Homeland Security system of Israel has created, thus borrowing ideas from it. Israel is a portent country in providing principal security solutions. The country has continued to provide the security solutions to important areas in the US such as, airports, government offices, seaports, recreational centers, financial institutions, and international events that are terrorist target areas due to the bilateral relationship in both countries. In order to further, strengthen the Homeland Security, the two countries signed the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012. The aim of this Act is to strengthen bilateral collaboration in a variety of areas that includes Homeland Security, border security, intelligence, advanced technology, energy, and cyber security. The two countries have a marvelous chance to collaborate through this partnership in order to advance and revolutionize our path to smarter security. According to US Chamber of Commerce (2012), the Homeland Security of Israel in which America borrows hers, has an estimated 600 companies that are active in the security sector. Of the 600 companies, 35% are involved in technology invention and development, 35% in products, 20% in IT development and software while 10% are involved in services development. In the same survey, we learn that there are about 350 Israeli security companies that export their security products worldwide. Moreover, the amount of revenue from Israel’s Homeland Security business is about $4 billion, with 25% of that, roughly $1 billion, from exports. The above survey shows us the level of development of the Homeland Security system in the tiny gulf nation. It was the determination of this country that inspired America to borrow the noble idea of developing their Homeland Security. The current state of threats on Israel resembles the insecurity threats in the US to day. The threats have led the US to develop cyber security systems from its own Homeland Security. However, the country borrows heavily its ideas from the Israeli Homeland Security system that has a more developed and sophisticated cyber security system. This system is used to detect areas of potential threats from the enemies of the country and it is used to protect the country from external threats. Israel is a global leader in sophisticated technology and cyber security invention. In August, the country developed a National Cyber Directorate to organize cyber-security improvement for the country’s security, military, and industrial subdivision. Later on, America developed United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 to the share the development of Israelis Homeland Security (BBC News, 2004). Bilateral relationship between Israel and United States has improved Homeland Security in ports of entry and aviation security. Israel, the tiny gulf country, has been belligerent in their quest of aviation, border security, and supply chain in an endeavor to keep destructive persons and products away from their people. The US has borrowed greatly border security programs and techniques from the tiny Middle East country since it has had tremendous success on protecting its Homeland Security. Moreover, the borrowed border security techniques from Israel to America’s Homeland Security can withstand the highest scrutiny, and any cessation could have instant and damaging impacts (Inbar, 2009). Israel is of strategic importance to US in its critical infrastructure protection. Homeland Security in the US has had an interest in Israel’s progression and activity in the country’s infrastructure and has been involved in various projects which include, intrusion detection, sensors, surveillance, image processing, commodity protection, alongside others. In order to curb the increasing threats on the countries security program, the US Homeland Security program should continue to collaborate with the Israelis Homeland Security program. This will help the country protect its citizens from the increasing terrorism threats such as that posed by Al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and the Taliban. Moreover, the bilateral relationship between the two nations should be strengthened, not only through funding, but also through Homeland Security exchange programs in order for the security companies in the two different countries to learn the different terrains and security challenges (Powers, 2002). References BBC News. (2004). BBC Monitoring Middle East, pp. 1-1. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/458702952?accountid=45049 Inbar, E. (2009). US-Israeli Relations in a New Era: Issues and Challenges after 9/11. Boston: Taylor & Francis. Powers, A. (2002). United States-Israeli Relations. New York: Nova Publishers. US Chamber of Commerce (2012), U.S.-Israel Homeland Security Collaboration Background Information. Retrieved from http://www.usisraelbusiness.com/u-s-israel-homeland-security-collaboration/ Read More