Abstract:
This thesis offers a study of the Israeli-United States relationship.
It argues that this special relationship has evolved from an initial American support for the creation of a Jewish State in 1948 to a high level of economic and military aid.
Although some U.S. presidents criticized the support and the general commitment to Israel because of an unfavorable improvement to the relationship with some Arab states, Washington never operates against its major strategic ally Tel Aviv.
By examining news reports and several books, this thesis demonstrates how strategic and military interests are not enough to justify this high amount of financial and military assistance provided to Israel, the highest of any other country. Instead, in the United States the existence of a strong pro-Israel lobby can explain why at the end of the Cold War, Israel continues to be considered as the major U.S. ally in the oil-rich Middle East.
This thesis does not want to accuse the pro-Israel lobby of conspiracy or secrecy, because the lobbying influence in the U.S. is legal, but analyzes how it can influence U.S. foreign affairs.
To understand how important the lobbying phenomenon is, this thesis will focus specifically on the case study of Camp David Accords when Israel and Egypt signed Peace Accords in 1979. It examines the possibilities of presidential diplomacy and it argues that the domestic aspects of the dispute narrowed Carter’s options, limited public debate and influenced decisions in pivotal moments.
