Israel’s path to cooperation with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has not been an easy one as the nation could establish its Liaison Office at NATO’s headquarters only after the Turkish lift over a veto that lasted 6 years. Israel managed to sign a formal agreement with NATO in 2017. According to Krauss and Wahnon (2021), “the cooperation between NATO and Israel has increased sustained in multiple tangible cooperation action” (para. 11). Israel has helped NATO immensely in regards to such issues as counter-intelligence and cyber threats. In addition, it has facilitated the development of strong diplomatic ties with Cyprus and Greece right after the discovery of gas in the Mediterranean region. The purpose of this discussion post is to demonstrate how the inclusion of Israel as a member state of NATO (solution) can assist the organization in securing global partnerships and enhancing its existing capabilities (issues).
Israel regards global partnerships as the primary strategy for securing its own borders, while simultaneously cooperating on solutions for current issues that affect each nation. The very existence of Israel is an example of how far coordination of efforts from multiple global players and extensive communication networks can create such a “development miracle.” After all, international cooperation is what Israel manages to excel at (Goren 2021). This has helped to turn a country covered mostly with deserts and suffering from a lack of resources into a rapidly industrialized powerhouse, which continues to lead in several key areas, including military, cyber-space, agriculture, and so on.
Another reason why the State of Israel invests a lot into international partnerships and cooperation is the nation’s effort to strengthen its ties with the Jewish diaspora across the world. As a result, over the years, Israel has established itself as a figurative bridge between the West, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean. For the Western states, Israel is favored due to its democratic government practices and pro-Western initiatives. The Middle East and North Africa, on the other hand, consider Israel a valuable partner because of its ties to the West and relative proximity to some of the world’s key political powers.
As to what NATO should do to foster global partnerships, according to the State of Israel, the solution may lie in the addition of Israel as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. To start with, “the recent Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab countries could (…) open the doors to further members around the World” (Krauss and Wahnon 2021, para. 12). Furthermore, due to such Israeli partnerships with numerous Arab nations, NATO would benefit by expanding its array of opportunities for international cooperation by making Israel a member and admitting the existence of the State of Israel.
Apart from the favorable implications of possible Israeli membership in NATO in terms of global partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa, the country has already demonstrated how efficient it can be when dealing with cyber threats, particularly due to the focus on cooperation. Therefore, it is evident that in addition to the top-notch military, Israel has to offer cyber-security capabilities. Experts note that “investments in Israel’s cybersecurity industry surpassed the $1 billion threshold for the first time” (Amouyal 2019). This puts into perspective the nation’s existing and projected potential in regards to battling cyber-crime, which seems to prevail in some of the world’s most influential regions, including the United States, China, European Union, etc.
References
Amouyal, Noa. “Israel Views Global Partnerships as Key to Thwarting Cyber-Security Threats.” Sun Sentinel, Web.
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Goren, Nimrod. “The Importance of International Partnerships for Israel’s Progressive Camp.” MITVIM: The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, 2021. Web.
Krauss, Alexandre and Nuno Wahnon. “Why Israel Should Be Considered to Join NATO.” The Brussels Times, Web.