WASHINGTON–Today, The Heritage Foundation published a groundbreaking special report titled “U.S.–Israel Strategy: From Special Relationship to Strategic Partnership, 2029–2047.”With the current ten-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the United States and Israel set to expire in 2028, this report provides a roadmap to strengthen and elevate bilateral ties. Experts from Heritage’s Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy outline several recommendations to advance the shared interests of both nations in the paper.

Victoria Coates, Vice President of the Kathyrn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, stated:

“The U.S.-Israel relationship has long been a cornerstone of American national security policy, but the alliance encompasses much more than security and extends to economic and cultural spheres as well, to the great benefit of both Americans and Israelis. Given evolving global challenges and shifting U.S. priorities, now is the time to elevate this relationship from a special relationshipto a full-fledged strategic partnership.

 

“With the current MOU set to expire in just a few years, we must take a proactive approach to forge a stronger and more mutually beneficial framework—one that enhances regional stability, deepens economic and technological ties, and bolsters security cooperation.”

Below are some key takeaways:

• The U.S.–Israel relationship is one of the United States’ most strategically vital partnerships, anchored in shared democratic values and common threats, notably the Islamic Republic of Iran and its terrorist proxies.
• Given new dynamics, constraints, and priorities, the United States should use the opportunity of the current MOU’s expiration in fiscal year 2028 to forge a new relationship with the State of Israel that elevates and expands the bilateral ties from one of primarily a security aid recipient and elevates it into a true strategic partnership.
• Changes in the Middle East —most notably the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020 and Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023—have altered geopolitical dynamics. Other regions are changing as well, as the United States faces a grinding war in Europe and a rising threat in East Asia that will pull resources and attention away from the Middle East. 
• To achieve strategic partnership, the U.S. will bolster Israel’s security position by advancing numerous regional initiatives through the Abraham Accords framework that create new defense, trade, and energy ties between the Jewish state and its Arab and Muslim neighbors. This will enhance Israel's capabilities and diminish its threat environment. This new Middle East will enable a transition from military financing of arms procurement to investing in cooperative programs and direct military sales to Israel. In laying the foundation for joint development of the next generation of defense capabilities, this will strengthen the ties between the US and Israel. This will occur over an extended time horizon, ending in 2048 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Israel’s independence.
• The United States reserves strategic partnerships with its closest and most trusted allies, such as the United Kingdom, as it is a reflection that the partner provides unique military, economic, cultural, and other compatibility and value to the U.S. It also sends a clear message to the partnership’s enemies that both nations have a vested interest in working together to address strategic challenges. 
• The United States should expand Foreign Military Financing for Israel during the early years of this process, which will enable a gradual transition period from FMF of arms procurements to direct military sales to Israel and the development of additional joint programs, with FMF ending in 2048 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Israel’s independence as envisioned by Prime Minister Netanyahu in his 1996 address to Congress.

Robert Greenway, Director of the Allison Center for National Security, added:

“Given recent developments in the Middle East and a new foreign policy mandate from the United States, the current MOU between the U.S. and Israel no longer fully aligns with the strategic interests of both nations.

 

“This special report details how the United States should re-orient its relationship with Israel to an equal strategic partnership over the next two decades. Just as the U.S. once phased out financial aid to Israel, the U.S. should transition Israel from a military financing recipient to a security partner by advancing new security and commercial frameworks.”