Op-Ed: Israel is asset and friend to U.S.

Emily Levy is an undeclared first year student. She is not a member of The Pitt News, and has submitted this as an op-ed.

Imagine you have a thick, heavy book on your lap.

You’ve never opened the book before, but you know people have discussed it for years. The book is full of conflict and controversy, yet people seem to admire it. The book is titled “The State of Israel.”

Parents and teachers often tell us to “not judge a book by its cover,” but we fail to use this golden rule when learning about Israel.

The politically controversial “cover” is — too often and unfortunately — all people choose to read, even though what lies beneath is far more interesting.

In the past couple of months, Israel has been devestated with terrorist attacks. On Tuesday, Hadar Cohen, a young female officer, was brutally murdered by three Palestinian terrorists as they attempted to stab Israelis outside of Jerusalem’s Damascus Gate.

Through it all, I remain an openly pro-Israel student. I am often asked, “Why Israel? Why support the country so confidently?”

While there are no easy or simple answers to these questions, it is imperative, in a time like this, that I try to answer them anyway. Avoiding the questions would be the equivalent of saying they don’t matter.

As an American, my answers revolve largely around the relationship America has with Israel.

For decades, the United States and Israel have maintained a strong and important friendship providing incredible benefits — economically, militarily and democratically — for both countries.

Israel has been a persistently strong force against radical leaders in the Middle East. Not only does this benefit the entire world, but it also directly benefits the United States. Israel shares crucial intelligence on uprising terrorism with U.S. officials, ranging anywhere from the whereabouts of Hamas leadership to providing essential knowledge regarding nuclear powers.

Their relationship is heavily based on sharing vital information, which helps protect the lives of United States citizens each day. Without Israel’s bond, the United States would be at an extreme, dangerous loss.

But this friendship is not one sided. America has been an essential partner to Israel, especially when it comes to developing and funding weapons and technologies to help defend and protect Israelis.

In March 2011, Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, which holds the capability to destroy short- and medium-range rockets while they are still in the air, became active. This system has been primarily funded by the United States. Because of the conflict that Israel faced — and still faces — the Iron Dome became a necessity to block rockets and mortar shells terrorists began firing from Gaza. 

According to the nonprofit group International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, during Operation Protective Edge, the most current Israeli push against Hamas in Gaza, the Iron Dome intercepted around 1,400 missiles within a nine-day period.

Economically, the partnership has only grown in the past 30 years since the two nations signed the U.S-Israel Free Trade Agreement. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the two-way trade has grown to earning close to $40 billion per year, highlighting the economic benefits for both countries. The Chamber of Commerce has also reported that, even though Israel only represents 2 percent of the Middle East’s population, it is the top importer of U.S. goods within the region.

While the United States and Israel share an important partnership, that does not diminish the fact that these past few months have been unquestionably challenging for Israel. Hundreds of Israelis have been murdered and wounded from stabbings, shootings and merciless terrorists attacks. The number of deaths keeps rising, and it does not seem like it will slow down soon.

When such travesties concern an American ally,it is pivotal that the friendship between them remains intact.

Although confusion can arise from misinformation spread by many U.S. news outlets, what is happening in Israel are true and terrible acts of terrorism.

Recently, CBS published an article titled “Three Palestinians Killed as Daily Violence Grinds On.” It was not noted in the headline that these Palestinians were killed because they were attempting to stab and attack Israeli civilians. Too often, popular media sources release articles with headlines like this one, exhibiting unfair bias. It is morally insulting when the highlight of these events are on the deaths of the terrorists rather than on the innocent men and women who lost their lives.

Israel currently suffers a very dangerous and severe series of events. Because of these crises, it is important that the United States continue to be an ally.

The partnership between the two nations is one of politics and security, technology and economics, but above all, one rooted in shared democratic and peaceful values.

“Why Israel?” will always be difficult to answer. The information within the book that sits in your lap is one that needs to be updated constantly, undoubtedly confusing you along the way. Regardless of the book’s complexity, it is a significant story that deserves attention.