The US-Israeli relationship should move beyond its traditional model of American military aid and toward deep operational integration and joint defense innovation, Amos Yadlin and Avner Golov have argued in Foreign Affairs. The former Israeli intelligence chief and his co-author propose that Washington gradually shift the emphasis of its security assistance from funding the purchase of American weapons toward their joint development.
The authors go further, suggesting that Washington upgrade Israel's position within the American industrial base by reducing political and procedural barriers, "Hvylya" reports. In their essay, Yadlin and Golov describe the goal: turn the Israeli industrial base into a testing ground for US defense innovations. Israel would better protect American interests in the Middle East, and Washington would get real-world data on how its systems perform against shared adversaries.
The 2025-2026 campaign against Iran already demonstrated this model in action, the strategists write. Israeli forces fought alongside American troops in strikes on Iran's missile program, nuclear facilities, and military infrastructure - a level of battlefield cooperation the authors compare to World War II. The campaign restored American military prestige in a region where Iran and its proxies had concluded that Washington was unwilling to bear the costs of sustained confrontation.
Their proposal extends beyond traditional defense. Yadlin and Golov call for US-Israeli cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, semiconductors, rare-earth elements, and advanced energy. Israel's highly educated population and sophisticated tech sector can partner with American companies on breakthroughs in AI security, advanced semiconductor packaging, critical materials processing, and quantum-enabled technologies.
Yadlin and Golov frame this shift as mutually beneficial rather than one-sided. Israel proved in the Iran campaign that it functions as a capable military partner, not merely a security consumer. A formalized partnership would anchor Israel more firmly within the US strategic orbit while giving Washington a forward-positioned innovation platform in one of the world's most contested regions.
"Hvylya" previously reported on RUSI's warning that key US interceptors are nearing depletion.