Danny Ayalon, Israel's former ambassador to the U.S., defended the strength — and value — of U.S.-Israel military cooperation, telling Newsmax on Monday the alliance not only boosts America's strategic interests but also returns tangible economic and technological benefits.
Ayalon said during a special edition of "Carl Higbie FRONTLINE" from Jerusalem that the annual $3.3 billion in U.S. military aid to Israel is "a fraction" of the $350 billion spent on Ukraine over recent years — and far less than the trillions spent fighting terror in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"If you look at the big picture, the defense cooperation between Israel and the United States is the most cost-effective for the U.S.," Ayalon said. "All this money goes back to the United States to create employment and growth."
Ayalon stressed that Israel is not just a recipient of U.S. weapons systems but also a contributor of cutting-edge innovations. He cited Israeli advances in avionics, cyber defense, and missile defense as examples of what Israel brings to the partnership.
"We love American platforms, best in the world, but we add to them," Ayalon said. "It's not just one-sided. It's a win-win."
Ayalon contrasted Israel's arrangement with other U.S. alliances, such as the $30 billion annual cost of maintaining troops in South Korea, or the expense of NATO operations, underscoring that Israel requires no permanent U.S. troop presence to deliver strategic value.
Ayalon said U.S. and Israel are "joined at the hip" in morality, values, and global vision.
He also argued the assistance should be considered defense cooperation rather than foreign aid:
"There are bureaucratic reasons it's counted as aid, but basically it's something we all benefit from," he said.
Ayalon praised President Donald Trump for recognizing that Palestinian leadership has been an obstacle to broader Middle East peace and for pursuing the Abraham Accords without making Palestinian agreement a precondition.
"In order to make peace in the Middle East, you don't start with the Palestinians — you end up with the Palestinians," Ayalon said.
He said Trump's approach successfully brought the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan into normalization agreements with Israel — and positioned Saudi Arabia to join before Iranian-backed Hamas' terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, of which Ayalon suggested was aimed at derailing that progress.
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