Israel: The Canary in the Mineshaft

The Media Line Staff

11/22/2024

Maariv, Israel, November 14

The recent air force strike in Iran underscored America’s fighter jet superiority on the global stage and highlighted Israel’s role as a hub of innovation in combat settings, as well as a premier showcase for the US defense industry. With unprecedented intensity across various fronts, the Israeli Air Force deployed F-35, F-16, and F-15 aircraft, gaining distinctive operational experience and showcasing remarkable creativity and audacity. These actions unveiled the capabilities of American aircraft while overcoming critical malfunctions not encountered by the US Air Force, which has comparatively less operational experience. Consequently, the US has expressed a strong desire to conduct numerous joint exercises with the Israeli Air Force. The operational insights gained from the strike form part of the enduring collaboration between the Israeli and American air forces—a partnership that enriches US air combat doctrines. This was similarly evident following Operation Mole Cricket 19 in June 1982, where approximately 20 Soviet surface-to-air missile batteries were destroyed, and dozens of MiG aircraft were downed. The US military also gains from Israeli expertise in shaping command and control systems, missile defense, counterterrorism efforts, and urban combat tactics, among other areas. The air force’s operation in Iran highlights Israel’s role as a “canary in the mineshaft,” continuously providing the US Air Force and aircraft manufacturers with invaluable operational, maintenance, and repair insights. These insights save billions in research and development costs, enhance the international competitiveness of American aircraft, and boost exports and employment within US manufacturing giants. The Israel Defense Forces extensively use American combat systems, enriching American manufacturers with its unique operational experience, thus offering a significant boon to the US defense industry, which employs millions, including subcontractors who also benefit from Israel as a real-world research and development center. Israel’s contributions to the US defense sector are akin to its influence on the American civilian high-tech industry, owing to the presence of over 250 major companies like Intel, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook that operate R&D centers in Israel. The strike on October 26, 2024, enhanced Israel’s deterrence capabilities in combating Islamic terrorism and those opposed to American interests, both Shiite and Sunni, who seek to overthrow pro-US Arab regimes, control nearly half of the world’s oil reserves in the Gulf, and eradicate what they perceive as the “Great Satan.” General Alexander Haig, former supreme commander of NATO and US secretary of state, along with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, former chief of naval operations, asserted that Israel acts as the largest American aircraft carrier globally—requiring no American personnel aboard—proving unsinkable while saving the US between $15 billion and $20 billion annually. The October 26 strike by Israel on Iran further illuminates the fact that the US does not merely provide Israel with foreign aid; rather, it makes an annual investment that yields substantial returns, revealing the mutually beneficial nature of the US-Israeli relations. —Yoram Ettinger, former Israeli consul general to the US southwest (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)