Abstract

This research paper focused on the relationship between Israel and the United States of America. The United States and Israel have a unique relationship, something that might not be found within any bilateral relations. The Israelis and Americans have always supported each other in every field and avenue, from foreign policy to economic policy, etc. How this relation affects the Palestinian people and their cause to achieve a separate homeland needs to be discussed. The economic repercussions that the Palestinians face from the US-Israel relations shall also be discussed. Israel does not wish to see Palestine become an independent state, while on the other hand, the Americans have expressed their desire for a two-state solution, which would ensure stability in the region and less hostility towards Israel. The researchers have also employed different theoretical frameworks to better get an understanding of the conflict.

Key Words

Israel-US Relations, Palestine, Zionist Lobbies, Humanitarian Crisis

Introduction

The state of Israel came into being in 1948, announcing itself as an independent state. The United States of America was the first to recognize Israel, with President Truman announcing the recognition a few minutes later on national television. This enduring relationship and alliance have been a pivotal angle when considering the changing geopolitical landscape of the Middle East. This relationship spanning many decades, has not only had regional implications but also had severe consequences for the Palestinian people and territory. At the core of this relationship lies many factors creating a complex web of religious, political, economic, and military areas. This interplay of the said factors demands closer scrutiny.

The Americans have always supported the idea of a Jewish state. The persecution that the Jews faced throughout World War 1 and 2 made many sympathize with the Zionist movement.  so, when Israel did declare independence, it had no issues getting recognition from the Western world. The issue started when the Palestinian people faced persecution and were forced off their own homeland, supposedly with the backing of the Western world. In each administration of the American Government, the presidents have tried their best to protect Israeli interests and vice versa too. America has remained the biggest donor of foreign aid to Israel. Israel has also been the largest recipient of American aid, reaching an estimated 158 billion dollars to date. America sees Israel as its Air carrier in the Middle East, serving its interests and acting as a buffer between other great powers that try to hamper American interests.

Israel does not wish to see a free Palestinian land and leverages everything in its power to ensure that it does not come into shape. This also means that it uses its strong ties to America to make sure it doesn't come into shape. Although America desires to see a two-state solution happen as it would stabilize the region and make Israel less of a target to other nations, it must support Israel in this endeavor. To this end, it has used its special veto power to overturn resolutions that condemned Israel, a whopping 42 times! This is an astonishing number considering the fact that America has only used its veto power 83 times in total.

What is the reason why America would go to such lengths to protect a small nation like Israel? A factor of reasons can be found. A major one is the Zionist lobbies that spend millions of dollars to sway the decisions of congress members. The main organization for this would be the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), which claims to have 100,000 members that work to favor Israel's interests in Congress. Another reason is that America finds Israel as a strategic partner, as the US has designated Israel as a major non-NATO ally. This justifies all the military spending it does.

The Palestinian people have been fighting to claim a homeland for themselves. This has not come without any resistance, with countless acts and examples of human rights violations, brutality, and even genocide. Many states have tried solving this issue but with both parties harboring animosity towards each other and unwilling to compromise on their demands, a solution looks a bit hard to find. The two-state solution that many countries propose is unacceptable to the Israelis and the Palestinian people want a homeland with borders before the 1967 war.




Statement of Problem

This research addresses the complex problems that arise from the enduring bilateral relationship between America and Israel and its impact on Palestinian territory. These problems include the political implications on Palestinian aspirations, the role of the United States in diplomatic initiatives and negotiations, the economic repercussions for Palestine, and the humanitarian consequences influencing socio-economic conditions and human rights. Discussing these issues, we find the need for stability, peace, and justice in the Middle East.




Research Questions

? How has the historical trajectory of US-Israel relations influenced the political landscape in the Palestinian territories?

? What role has the United States played in diplomatic initiatives and negotiations between Israel and Palestine, and how has this affected the prospects for peace?

Research Methodology

This study adopts a qualitative method approach by analyzing the dynamics of the relationship between both America and Israel and how they impact the Palestinian people and their cause. By consulting secondary sources including scholarly articles, official reports of various governments, and expert analyses on the diplomatic negotiations, policy changes, and regional and global scenarios, this research aims to get to the root of the problem. m. By arranging the existing literature and critically examining the data, the research seeks to understand various strategies, problems, and stakes involved by all actors mainly the US, Israel, and Palestine, and contributes to the scholarly knowledge on the subject by way of qualitative analyses.

Literature Review

"How Special is the US-Israel Relationship" by Mitchell Bard and Daniel Pipes was published in the Middle East Quarterly in June 1997. In this article, the writers analyze just how deep and important both countries' relationship is. He gives a summary of their relationship and delves deeper, offering a view into different sectors that both parties are engaged in. In the foreign policy domain, he elaborates on how America has helped Israel in the international arena. From brokering peace with Egypt to helping it in the United Nations. He further goes on to say how the US has sustained the Israeli economy, initially through aid and later through trade. He explains the strategic interests the US has in Israel as a proxy in the Middle East (Bard & Pipes, 1997).

“The Impact of United States of America Intervention on The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" by Haya Qonita, Nuraini Sekar Warasti, Badrus Sholeh was published in the Global Political Studies Journal in 2022. In this article, there is an analysis of the history of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and America's role up until then. We first see how this conflict arose between both parties. We then get a glimpse at the analytical framework employed by the writers. Afterward, we observe a chronological view of US-Israel relations and what ups and downs it saw. The writers explain the role of lobbying, especially by the AIPAC in American Congress, and how it has shaped the foreign policy of America towards this conflict (Qonita, Warasti & Sholeh, 2022).

"The Real Problem in US-Israel Relations" by Dov Waxman was published in the Washington Quarterly on 19 March 2012. It focuses on the relationship between both countries during the Obama era. He argues that both countries weren't on one page with each other. Israel saw the US's strategy in the Middle East as short-sighted and lacked zest because, during Obama's administration, he had introduced the pivot to Asia policy, which saw the US's focus shift from the Middle East to Asia to counter China there. On the other hand, America too had complaints about Israel (Waxman, 2012).

“America’s Palestine Policy” by Ibrahim Abu-Lughod was published in 1990 in the Arab Studies Quarterly. In this article, the writer argues that America in theory accepts the Palestinian right to self-determination but when it comes to implementing this policy it becomes indifferent and, in some cases, actively supports Israel in denying Palestine its rights (Abu-Lughod, 1990)

“Economic Relations Between Palestine and Israel During the Occupation Era and The Period of Limited Self-Rule” was written by Fadle M. Naqib in The Economic Forum in 2000. In this article, he examines the Palestinian economy and the role that the Israeli government plays (Naqib,2015).




Trends in Us-Israel Relations

In this section, we will be observing the trends in US-Israel relations in a deeper manner. When we refer to trends in international relations, we usually refer to a general pattern or development of a relationship between two parties that takes place over time. These trends can also span across many different fields like security, economy, diplomacy, and even public perception. Finding and comprehending the fundamental elements that influence the relationship between two nations and tracking these elements' changes over time are necessary for trend analysis. Trends in U.S.-Israel relations, for instance, could include adjustments to security cooperation agreements, adjustments to diplomatic priorities, variations in trade volumes, or adjustments to public attitudes toward one another.

The relationship between both countries is unique in today’s time, especially when considering how far they are from each other, a whopping 10,882 km apart from each other (Distance from Israel to United States, n.d.)."The United States has a special relationship with Israel in the Middle East, really comparable only to that which it has with Britain over a wide range of world affairs," President John F. Kennedy said to Israeli Foreign Minister Gilda Meir in December 1962 (Gilboa, 2023). This emphasizes that not a lot of bilateral relations can be compared to the one these both have. In this section, we will observe and analyze what factors affected their trends




Military Cooperation

One constant that can be traced back to Harry S. Truman's reign is America's unshakable commitment to Israel's security, which has been a pillar of foreign policy for every administration. To counter the new and sophisticated security challenges, the US is helping Israel to fill its capability gaps through security assistance. Also, the US is helping to enhance interoperability through cooperative exercises, the US assists Israel in preserving its Qualitative Military Edge (QME). The US has been providing assistance of more than $130 billion through bilateral aid since the state of Israel was founded in 1948. The United States declares to support the known QME, which entails the retention of Israel's tactical advantages, technological superiority, and other qualitative parameters that let it deter more powerful opponents. In the US, the current legal system determines how this policy (sic) will be applied (Shapiro, 2010).

In the process of the US-Israel bilateral defense agreements, there have been a few of them that have been negotiated. These agreements comprise of Status of Forces Agreement (1994) which was meant to regulate the movement of troops between two countries without infringing on each other's security, the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement (1952), the General Security of Information Agreement (1982), and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (1991). The United States along with other partners has systematically assessed and removed over $8 million in uncontested minefields of the West Bank from 2011 to 2015. Addressing, the aim of the described actions is to improve regional and human-borne security. The humanitarian de-mining process started taking place in the month of April 2014 after the long negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians occurred; this is considered the first time in the last 50 years that landmines were cleared to be used for humanitarian purposes.

Under the auspices of the Joint Political-Military Group (JPMG) comprised of representatives of the US and Israel since 1983, top priority has always been set on the implementation of measures of common interest, identification of current problems and challenges, and research for more prospects for security partnership. The JPMG was co-chaired by the Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs on the U.S. side and by the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense on the Israeli side. Twice a year JPMG organizes its biennial meetings that look for their venue in Israel and the US. The unbreakable strategic relationship between the US and Israel continues to be reaffirmed as it was during the 48th JPMG held in October 2022. Bim has been very active and supportive of furthering understanding and enhancing the already existing peaceful achievements reached by recent normalization under 




Abraham Accords.

Concerning Title 22 security assistance of the United States under the Foreign Military Financing program, Israel takes the first place among all the beneficiaries of the program worldwide. A period of 10 years (2019–2028) has provided for the MOU to be signed. In accordance with the MOU, the US donates $3.3 billion annually in FMF and contributes $500 million for joint missile defense initiatives every year. The US has appropriated to Israel $3.4 billion since FY 2009 for missile defense, $1.3 billion of which supports Iron Dome since FY 2011. By Foreign Military Fund (FMF), the United States performs some of the world's advanced military equipment supply such as F-35 Lightnings to Israel. In the case of Israel, the country is eligible for cash flow financing and can spend its yearly FMF allocation on the purchase of defense items and services and training through the FMS (Foreign Military Sales), DCS (Direct Commercial Sales), and OSP (Offshore Procurement). By means of OSP, the current MoU allows us to spend some FMF part on the defense articles of Israel rather than U.S.-origin. In FY 2019 it was 25 percent, and by FY 2028 it is planned to gradually decrease to zero (US State Department, 2024).

  Growing Threats: The Israeli homeland stands in danger from the surrounding region's continued unrest. To the north lay Hezbollah in Lebanon and the increasing Syria-Iran presence; to the South is Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement in Gaza; terrorists like ISIS follow the Sinai Peninsula; and to the West are the militant terrorist organizations that continue to gain influence in the West Bank. Iran, which is engaged in surrounding Israel with terror groups having the Iranian hands to build atomic bombs, is the greatest dangerous threat to the Jewish State.

Rising Costs: Israel, a country the size of New Jersey that was located geographically, has been forced to spend more on defense as a percent of GDP than all the other industrialized countries to combat the long-existing threats in the region. However, the problem Israel is facing is worsening because of the increase in the cost of highly sophisticated weapons. As an example, Israel would have to pay about twice as much for a single F-35I "Adir" fighter jet as it would pay for an F-16I paid for through the 1998 initial U.S.-Israel agreement (AIPAC, n.d.).

Acknowledging Israel as a partner of the first order (Major Non-NATO ally) according to US law. This state is an important message to their close neighborhood and grants them additional value in the area of defense trade and security cooperation. As it confirms the legal requirements, US policy is that it is obligated to support Israel to make sure that Israel has the QME (Qualitative Military Edge or the capacity to repel and win any plausible conventional armed threat or threat combination, including by a non-state actor using less damages and casualties than usual).




Economic Cooperation

In the beginning, while Israel was in a worse relative position, there wasn't much economic and trade interaction between both countries, and America sent economic aid to enable Israel to avoid economic collapse. As years went by and Israel was reaching greater development levels, it was able to carry out bilateral trade with the US. One of the major bedrocks of the United States – Israel trade and commerce is the intra-group commerce in products and services which is almost the equivalent of $50 billion per annum. According to any sources of research, their economic trading relationship started in 1985 with each of them signing a free trade agreement. The agreement was approved in the U.S. House of Representatives with 422-0 votes and by the voice vote of the U.S. Senate, it came into force in September 1985. When the president, Ronald Reagan, delivered his speech after the signing of the agreement, he said, "Here we are, once again, symbolizing our two countries' deep community of interest and shared values, and aspirations for a brighter future." This sentence argues that the USA highly values Israel since it is a perfect example of friendship, a trade partner, and a reliable ally (U.S. Embassy in Israel, 2021).

Initially, during the pre-FTA phase, Israel was given the opportunity to take advantage of the GSP, a unilateral trade preference mechanism that allows duty-free imports of goods from developing nations into the United States. Furthermore, American support is added to Israel from the early 1970s. In addition to the mutual liberalization of bilateral trade and the eventual withholding of US economic assistance to Israel as a result of the Free Trade Agreement, we will review the main trade and economic effects of the treaty. The United States and Israel began gradually reducing the tariffs on imported goods until the entire taxes on manufactured goods were scrapped on January 1 of the year 1995. Primarily concerning the agricultural policy issues, the FTA was structured in a way that allowed the US and Israel to have certain restrictions on imports, which included quotas and fees, for agricultural products. Notwithstanding the above, over 90% of exports by value of US agriculture enter Israel duty-free. Even though the FTA has been in operation for more than a quarter of a century and is only some twenty pages long, it presents a flexible framework as well as an attractive business climate that can be utilized to reinforce economic linkages. A Free Trade Agreement Fifth Joint Committee known as JC was set up to serve as a platform for expression on all issues of mutual interest and discussion about possible solutions to trade constraints. With the US International Trade Representative (USTR) and Israel's Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor's Foreign Trade Administration, the JC meets on a yearly basis under the flag of its entity. The JC includes the broad range framework where the trade agreements in agricultural products can be put in place as well as agricultural standards collaboration.

Among the industries that are in the United States and Israel's current economic and commercial relationship include energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, defense industries, cyber-security, and aviation, to name a few. An essential part of the popular American hi-tech area is from Israel, which grows the competitiveness and efficiency of big American companies all over the world. Some of the companies that come to mind include Applied Materials, Cisco, Intel, Motorola, and HP. According to projections from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, over 72,000 employees in more than 2,500 American companies operating in Israel belong to this category. In this way, the employers not only improve the lives of their workers but also of many other people who benefit from the incomes that these jobs provide. In 1985, the Israeli economy faced problems, including severe inflation, big deficits in the governmental budget, and low development. The Joint Economic Development Group, or JEDG, an economic stabilization plan that was created jointly by the two governments was instrumental in regaining the lost momentum of the Israeli economy by the end of the 1980s and the launch of the decade to come.

The three combined U.S.-Israel research and development foundations - the Binational Science Foundation (BSF), the Binational Agricultural Research and Development Foundation (Bard), and the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation (BIRD) - were founded. Started in 1977, the BIRD Foundation already awarded $282 million to 813 projects of which $8 billion in sales were generated both directly and indirectly. "BIRD Energy" was established in 2009 with the passing of the U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Program by the Congress through Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. One part of the bilateral collaboration in renewable and clean energy technology, "BIRD Energy" was founded (US Embassy in Israel, n.d.).




Diplomatic Support

Israel was established in 1948 and immediately became a major player in the Middle East and America was a staunch ally in the early days of the new state. On May 14, 1948, President Harry Truman quickly and unexpectedly declared his willingness to recognize the new state, and this made the United States the first country to do so. This decision was influenced by the outcome of the Holocaust which created a lot of negative impacts on the world, and this cemented the support of the Jews to have a country of their own. Further, the Zionist movement, which had a strong support base within the United States, as well as the geopolitical factor of a pro-western oriented country in the region during the early Cold Era also helped in this regard.

One of the strongest relationships formed during the Cold War was that between the U. S. and Israel, with pragmatic considerations of mutual antagonism toward Soviet presence in the Middle East as the motivating factor for the relationship. It was further cemented by the great events such as the Suez Crisis of 1956 the six-day war in 1967 and the Yom Kippur war in 1973. Israel was confronted by three Arab Neighbors during this war. There was massive diplomatic aid from the U. S., for instance, to defend Israel's right to self-defense in the UN. The U. S. pressured the Arab countries to reach a deal that ultimately resulted in the U.N. Security Council Resolution 242 that called for which demanded that Israel return the land it captured to receive peace in return and sowed the seeds for future peace negotiations.




Camp David Accords

One can attribute many of the U. S. diplomatic interventions to Favor of Israel but one of the notable ones was through the facilitation of the Camp David Accords by President Jimmy Carter. The history of Egypt and Israel after signing this peace treaty was a historical achievement because it was the first time Israel was negotiating peace with one of the Arab countries. Egypt started formally recognizing Israel through the Camp David agreements, in return for the Sinai Peninsula which had been under Israeli occupation since the Six-Day War. The accords revealed the willingness of America to protect Israel to guarantee acceptance in the location of the conflict as well as the desire to establish peace.

The controversial and highly symbolic decision was to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. This decision also reaffirmed U. S. backing for Israeli rights to Jerusalem, which is a holy city to many religious and ethnic communities. Israelis loved it while Palestinians and many other nations around the world decried it (Telhami & University of Maryland, 1978).




Abraham Accords

The Abraham Accords of 2020 served as a defining moment in Middle Eastern politics – signed as these were between Israel and several Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – and more for its peace-receptiveness. They were a product of a history of prolonged hostility and occasional attempts to foster amicable relations. Moreover, with the exception of three states, most Arab states adopted a policy of non-recognition and economic boycott against Israel based on the assumption that Israel must first resolve the Palestinian issue. That process which saw the signing of the accords was with the help of the Trump administration and was achieved through the use of strategic diplomacy and economic incentives. Jared Kushner and Mike Pompeo led the process of negotiations over the past years by exerting more financial pressure from the U.S. on Arab countries to establish formal relations with Israel.

The USA has played a very crucial role in the security of Israel, which has made the accords a reality. This support comes from a strong and comprehensive relationship evidenced by large-scale military support and assistance, extensive economic partnership, and unconditional political commitment. This was followed by the provision of advanced technology and defense systems like the Iron Dome by the US for Israel that they used to survive. Furthermore, US diplomacy has seen it act as an ambassador for Israel by sparing its diplomatic disapproval over the actions believed to be prejudicial to Israel. Thus, through the Abraham Accords, the U. S. not only enhanced its own position in the Middle East but also helped to strengthen Israel's position in its regional diplomatic and especially, economic environment and hence, strove to further integrate it into the Middle East and change the potential nature of that region (Norlen & Sinai, 2020).

Oslo Accords

The Oslo Accords in the 1990s is another historic peace initiative that the U. S. took part in in the Middle East. It began in 1993 when Norway and the United States encouraged secret negotiations for the accords with the public endorsement of the Clinton administration. Most of these signed agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were based on the premise of establishing peace through mutual agreements for Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and the process leading to wider issues being resolved through further peace talks.

US involvement in the Oslo Accords was very important. President Bill Clinton was actively involved in getting Rabin and Arafat to the negotiating table. Both sides received political encouragement and economic subsidies from the U. S. to reach a series of subsequent agreements and summits that were meant to consolidate and extend the concessions that were made initially. Even though the Oslo peace process failed shortly after its inception, the Oslo Accords had a crucial impact on the efforts for peace in Israel/Palestine and served as another example of the United States' involvement in the peace process. This diplomatic support has been among the principles of the United States policy toward Bahrain and has reaffirmed the strategic interest of ensuring stability and promoting alliances in the Middle East (Milestones in the History of U.S. Foreign Relations - Office of the Historian. n.d.)




Religious Connections

On the religious aspect, the connections are equally relevant. Jewish Americans have been influential in sustaining ethno-religious relationships with Israel through synagogues, centers for Jewish congregations, and groups like the ADL and Hadassah, among other entities; the United States contains the second-largest Jewish population globally. Another major source of support for Israel is the American Evangelical Christians who believe the State of Israel in modern times represents the fulfillment of the bible prophecies. Through political lobbying, donations as well as the provision of religious pilgrimages to Israel, this system supports religious sites which are culturally spiritual. Jewish Christian cooperation in interfaith dialogues and other peace-building processes promotes understanding and embracing of others by the two religions with a special focus on supporting Israel based on historical religious back winding.

Another crucial and significant element is the pilgrimages and religious tourism of American Jews and Christians visiting the Holy sites in Israel and/or Palestine including the Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Galilee, and so on, to the number of thousands each year. Such visits foster individual and social connections with the land of Israel, which, on many occasions, comprises cultural exchange visits that enhance reciprocal appreciation of the Israeli culture. In conclusion, it can be said that the reciprocity of the historical and religious connection between America and Israel is rich and dynamic, and it is significantly strengthened by continuing intergenerational active involvement, common principles, and interests, which enhances the thickness of the strong cultural backing for today's Israel's




Education and Scholarly Exchange

This part aims at identifying the contributions of the scholars via the exchange of education between the United States of America and Israel which can be regarded as a part of cultural support. It enhances multi-disciplinary cooperation in a wide range of educational disciplines and essentials cultural exchange contributing to long-term mutual trust and professional connections. An essential part of the exchange is the several collaborative research initiatives and universities. Organizations such as BIRD facilitate Manufacturing and provide funds for cooperative Research & Development between American and Israeli companies and may include a university. There is research collaboration between MIT and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology – for instance, they collaborate in producing research articles, creating, and developing emergent technologies on subjects like artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as well as renewable energy (MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives, 2008).

Numerous American universities provide their students with overseas learning in Israel which generally gives the students a unique chance to comprehend both the traditional and the modern Israeli realities. There are programs like Masa Israel Journey which provides meaningful educational programs such as internships and volunteer experiences. Professors & researchers also swap semesters with their counterparts in their partner institutions as a means of sharing information and effective teaching strategies and making the education experience in both countries excellent.

Holocaust remembrance is an important issue that American universities tackle in cooperation with Yad Vashem – the World Holocaust Center in Jerusalem, to organize conferences and produce further programs and materials. The key institution is the USC Shoah Foundation established by Steven Spielberg, which cooperates with Israeli organizations in order to gather and spread the testimonies of the survivors of the Holocaust. Moreover, Middle Eastern Studies centers at universities such as Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Chicago engage in course teaching and research on the politics, society, and culture of Israel. Language programs take student's learning experience further in Israeli culture, literature, and history (University of Southern California, n.d.).




Political and Social Solidarity

The historical relations between America and Israel are founded on political and social affiliations with the two nations sharing similar democratic principles as well as supporting each other. The relationship between the government and advocacy groups is very critical. The most well-known is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) which actively lobbying and campaigning for ensuring pro-Israeli measures within the scope of the US administration policies. AIPAC focuses on the Judeo-Christian and democratic heritage, which both nations possess, thus supporting only those policies that would contribute both to the security of the state of Israel and to improve the relations between the two countries. Another Jewish and American organization, J Street, which is considered to be the left-wing of the American Jewish community, pro-peace organization that supports the two-state solution in the Middle East. What the progressive political lobby, J Street does is advocate for diplomacy and cultural exchange as the means of security and democracy as well as peace (Samuels, 2024).

Impacts on Palestine

To Palestinians, the US-Israel relationship has been considered a formidable challenge to their pronouncements on statehood and sovereignty. This will be so because Israel enjoys more support and power than the Palestinian territories in different aspects, which in turn will have implications on their bargaining power, economy, and properly speaking. This account of U. S. politics dovetailing almost perfectly with Israeli needs sometimes gives the Palestinians a feeling that they are wholly without champions on the world stage. Several critical topics like the sovereignty of Jerusalem, settlements, and refugees the refugee issue, mainly, have symbiotic relations with the contours of the US-Israel relationship.

In addition, one cannot overlook the humanitarian situation for Palestinians as a result of these measures taken by Israel. Effects of conflict and occupation: The Israel and Palestinians conflict has continued to have effects on the Palestinian population before and after the formation of an independent Palestinian state due to the policies of the US supporting the Israeli government's security measures at the expense of Palestinians' human rights. In this respect, it is possible to note the following problems: limited mobility, scarce employment, and restricted access to utilities.

However, it is also necessary to note that peace and cooperation initiatives are also taken in this direction. Peacemaking activities involve NGOs, civil society organizations, as well as internationally diplomatic measures to consolidate the relations between Israelis and Palestinians sometimes with encouragement from the U. S, but alongside it, broad political and economic efforts only serve to maintain the status quo.

In this chapter, we will explore in more detail the effect of the relationship between the US and Israel on Palestine with respect to different aspects. Therefore, this section will examine the politics of the conflict, covering in greater detail how the support of America to Israel influences not only negotiations for a peaceful solution but also the strategies of the Palestinian political structures. In this context, an analysis of economic implications will be done based on the influence of the aid, trade, and economic policies on Palestinian lives. This paper will also look at the geopolitical analysis in order to establish how regional integration as well as the relations of this world affects the other. Lastly, we shall focus on human rights with emphasis to regard how the US endorses Israeli policies which in turn impacts the rights of Palestinians in their day-to-day undertakings.

Political Dynamics

The political power of the US-Israel and Palestinian relations entail a unique web of power struggle politics of influence and diplomacy. This part delves into the fact that American support has been a staple of its foreign policy, which has marked the nature and dynamics of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and influenced the direction of a peace process. The U. S plays a crucial role as one of the major players in the negotiation process; however, the American bias in support of Israel's rights weakens its facilitation efforts. This bias is clearly seen in U. S foreign policy as demonstrated by its decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December 2017 away from the international consensus which placed it mainly as a move that destabilized the Palestinian's demand for East Jerusalem as the capital of their future independent state. Such decisions, popular among Palestinian people, are regarded as going solely with or without their consent, undermining their dream of attaining statehood and sovereignty. 

In addition, the entente between the U. S. And Israel influences Palestinian stakes as a player on the international scene. Americans sometimes wield pressure on other nations to disregard the existence of a Palestinian state or support its stand in the global arena including the United Nations. One of the main common effects of this diplomatic isolation is that it has a negative impact on the Palestinian efforts to gain international legitimacy since they have no international recognition of their struggle for statehood. Moreover, political factors are also important to American foreign aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA): the aid can be linked with political conditions which might undermine the PA's political position and its efficiency in governance. Besides, this shift in support not only worsens the power gap between Israel and Palestine but also complicates the internal Palestinian politics and sometimes encourages frustration and resentment feelings among the Palestinian people.

The broader geopolitical implications of the U.S.-Israel relationship also affect Palestine. U.S. support for Israeli security measures, such as military operations and settlement expansions, has significant repercussions for Palestinian territories. These actions often lead to international criticism and complicate peace efforts, as they are seen as violating international law and Palestinian human rights. The relationship also shapes regional alliances, with recent normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states, facilitated by the U.S., altering the traditional Arab solidarity with Palestine. This shift leaves Palestinians feeling increasingly marginalized in a changing Middle Eastern landscape, where their cause no longer holds the same central position, it once did. In summary, the political dynamics of the U.S.-Israel relationship create a challenging environment for Palestinian aspirations, complicating efforts toward achieving a just and lasting peace.




Economic Conditions

The bilateral business relations between the U. S. and Israel affect the economic patterns in Palestinian territories, both as assistance and in terms of opportunities and constraints to growth. The billions of dollars granted by the United States in aid of Israel supply military and financial support to Israel, which in turn impacts the Palestinian economy by perpetuating a tangible imbalance of forces and supplies. In contrast, multilateral aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), including significant, US aid is unpredictable and often subject to cuts or complete suspension for policy reasons resulting in financial crises, and underfunding of development projects in Palestinian territories. This has tilted the Aid balance in favor of Israel and kept even the UN human rights report revealing that Palestinians are struggling to sustain development and economy.

Further, the encouragement of the U. S toward Israeli security actions, including checkpoints and barriers in the West Bank areas hinders the economic activities of Palestine. These interventions prevent people from having contact with others and goods from moving, hinder trade, and distort access to basic services and markets, aggravating economic suffering. The living conditions for Palestinians are much worse in the Gaza Strip as the international borders remain closed by the Israeli blockade backed by the United States for security reasons. Hamas's blockade of Gaza paralyzes its economy and hinders the delivery of goods, especially food, fuel, and medical aid in addition to hindering the export of goods, employment opportunities, and free movement of people therefore making Gazans highly dependent on foreign assistance.

Though the US supports the developmental projects in Palestine by funding it, other economic consequences of occupation and restrictions put by Israel do not balance with such funding. Social programs and ventures that focus on developing necessary physical and social infrastructures in terms of quantity, enhancing quality health care, and increasing and improving educational standards can also offer some solace to an extent but they can never solve the real growing problems of lack of economic freedom and diminishing national sovereignty. Also, the policies that regulate trade economics in the United States always work alongside Israel's interest thus ignoring and denying Palestinians their economic rights.

In other words, there appears a close connection between the Palestinian territories on the one hand, and the partnership between the US and Israel on the other hand in terms of financial flows and economic constraints including policies on security that limits economic freedom and access to markets. To counter these economic problems, there is a need to make aid better distributed, make or Ease restrictions on movement, and other policies that will encourage sustainable developments and economic independence for the Palestinians. But this is possible if some changes are not made, the economic disparities will always be a source of frustration as well as slowing the process to attain the much-needed peace in society.




Geopolitical Landscape

The United States-Israel partnership influences Palestinian dreams and the Middle Eastern map with a complicated mixture of politics, defense, and economics. This support has an impact on alliances and antagonisms of Middle Eastern states, defining the intensity and nature of Arab countries' support for Palestine in relation to the USA's support for Israel. Traditionally, several Arab countries sided with Palestine, feeling that it was their duty to stand for the Palestinian people. However, recent changes in the regional realities, including the normalization with Israel, the countries of which include the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco through the Abraham Accords are some of the arrangements that have been brokered by the U.S.

These normalization agreements have significant consequences for Palestine. While they create new opportunities for the advancement of economic and technological cooperation between Israel and these Arab states, they also indicate a change in priorities. An emphasis on leveraging economic and security goals has partly downplayed the Palestinian question, thus relieving pressures on Israel to compromise in peace talks. This has caused Palestinians to feel betrayed and abandoned as the struggle for statehood and self-determination has been left out in favor of geopolitics.

The US-Israeli relationship also helps paralyze Palestinian diplomacy in the international system. In this case, the United States, through its strong role in international organizations including the United Nations, has been noted to actively employ its veto power in the Security Council to prevent resolutions condemning Israel. This constant diplomatic shield thus diminishes the chances of the international community to pressure Israel to change its approach to the Palestinians. Palestinian leaders' attempts to get support and recognition at an international level are often prevented by American veto that regards only negotiations as a solution, although there is a perceived skewed power relation in negotiations.

Furthermore, the geopolitical environment encompasses the general state of security threats alongside counterterrorism. The U. S. and Israel exchange information and cooperate on security issues because organizations like Hamas active in the Palestinian territories are viewed as threats. This cooperation also entails other aspects of regional security, where Iran as well as its proxies and allies, pose a threat. The synchronization of the U.S. and Israel's policies to counter Iran makes the geopolitical situation even more difficult for Palestinians because regional conflicts frequently overshadow the PLO's cause.




Humanitarian Impact

One of the longest-term effects is the ongoing siege of Gaza, to which the U. S. contributes for security reasons. This has limited the supply of food, clothing, construction materials, and medical products, hence creating a hard and difficult life, high unemployment standards, and poor medical and educational services. Therefore, the socio-economic reality in Gaza remains one of the worst humanitarian disasters, poverty, and suffering in the Middle East. In the West Bank, the same negative repercussions are noticed due to the U. S support of Israeli security measures like checkpoints and separation barriers. These measures impede travel and trade, affecting economic productivity and even the availability of basic needs such as health and education. In addition, to supporting Israel, they prolong settlements, house demolition, and consequently, the displacement of Palestinians. These actions, which are often couched in security rhetoric, are often deplored by advocacy groups such as human rights organizations for breaching international laws and norms.

This is so because the HR situation in Palestinian territories is worsened by the operational use of equipment and equipment that have been supplied to the Israelis by the US during their operations that resulted in the killing of civilians and the destruction of infrastructural facilities particularly in the event of war especially in Gaza. The cycles of violence continue and perpetuate the suffering of children through the U. S. military aid to Israel which creates a long-term traumatized society. In regard to this, while the United States does provide some funds towards humanitarian and developmental projects aimed at mitigating these circumstances, such assistance has continuously been regarded as inadequate and overwhelmed by political and military support accorded to Israel. Also, U. S. policies contribute to diplomatic exclusion for Palestinians, as actions by the American state serve as the veto power in international organizations, therefore negating crises against Israel and limiting the international's attempts to address other humanitarian problems as well as holding Israel liable for its actions.

In light of the discussion, it is possible to assert that the main effects that the U.S.–Israel relationship has on Palestinians are rather negative and involve extensive hardships for the population of the country. Such factors as skewed support bearing and covert prioritization of security rather than human rights liberal democracy result in an unfolding and escalating malady. Regarding these humanitarian demands, it is necessary to find a fairer perspective to consider the rights and necessities of the Palestinians as part of the conflict, besides the security concerns in order to search for a more suitable solution to the conflict.




Peace Prospects

The United States of America officially supports the plan of division as the most prospective for the creation of the peace process. Still, its work is oriented toward this goal, but at the same time, its policies and actions contradict this notion. For example, when the United States decided to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017, this was clearly a new event that shifted the framework. This decision was considered detrimental to the Palestinian's ability to assert East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state escalated protests and consequently led to a halt in negotiation processes. Moreover, the policy of the U. S. administration in supporting the construction of settlements in the West Bank contributes to the non-contiguous state territory of Palestine, which is crucial for the Palestinian state. These settlements, far from being recognized under international law, are growing with the support of the United States and are blurring the division line between the Israeli settlers and the local Palestinians, thus increasing the problems of demarcation with proper and recognizable boundaries. 

Being a strategic partner with U. S, Israel holds considerable influence in negotiations on solutions to the conflict much to the discontent of Palestinians. This results in power relations especially in bargaining processes where Israeli security needs or territorial demands are more relevant to Palestinians than making mutual accommodation. For instance, in the 2020 Map of the Palestinian State presented by the Trump administration, they projected a map in which a future state could be formed through discontinuous components joined by a network of communications roads and tunnels which many Palestinians perceived as preposterous and inequitable. This particular plan was unpopular in Palestine, and most Palestinians did not believe it provided a solution to the issue of self-governance and the nation's territorial boundaries.

But these efforts can often lack the attention they need to succeed and develop, especially when underpinned by worsening geopolitical struggles and regional disasters. American assistance in these kinds of grassroots activism is vital, although it remains often elusive due to interference from creative and political agendas that focus on state diplomacy and security. For instance, though part of it is spent on other interventions in support of post-war reconstruction and various forms of peace-building efforts, unfortunately, the U. S funding dwarfs in comparison to the military support it provides to Israel which most observers associate with the perpetuation of the occupation and conflict.

To obtain a clearly balanced sustainable and just resolution to the conflict, it is high time for the U. S to balance its policies and actions and give adequate attention to the security and reasonable demands of both Israelis and Palestinians. Early in this task, specific support was also given to high-level talks on reconciliation, but it was also simultaneously necessary to invest in the development or strengthening of grassroots movements that are based on the recognition of the equality of the two peoples. Hereby, substantial support of, for example, the project like "Combatants for Peace" – the organization that includes ex-combatants, both Israeli and Palestinian, who act nonviolently, and the project "The Parents Circle-Families Forum" – An international group of families who lost their dear ones because of the violent clashes and now work only for the peace, the U. S. is actually contributing towards the conditions that allow the idea of in this way, the United States can incur a future that will enable two peoples to live in a dignified and secure manner, enabling them to make the necessary preparations so that actual peace can be achieved

Conclusion and Path-Forward

We have looked at what the history of America and Israel looks like. We have also seen how and in which areas they both collaborate to benefit each other. The decades-long support that the US has provided to Israel has been a lifeline. This blind support is detrimental to Palestine's ambition to realize a future where they are fully sovereign, which goes against Israeli interests. We have also seen how America has affected Palestine with its involvement with Israel. As we have seen countless times, America's outward stance that it is committed to a two-state solution has been tested time and time again with only one conclusion, America can only make a two-state solution work if the Israelis favor it. 

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