Stephen M. Flatow is an attorney and the father of Alisa Flatow, who was murdered in an Iranian-sponsored Palestinian terrorist attack in 1995. He is author of A Father’s Story: My Fight for Justice Against Iranian Terror [expanded second edition is now available in paperback on Amazon] and is the president of the Religious Zionists of America-Mizrachi.
From Athens to New Delhi to Bangkok, nations are reaping the benefits of Israel’s relentless drive to defend itself. And in Washington, the misunderstood U.S.-Israel defense partnership is proving to be one of America’s smartest investments.
Israel’s geography has always been unforgiving. Since its founding in 1948, the country has lived under the shadow of existential threats. Surrounded by hostile neighbors, facing rocket fire, terrorism, and the specter of regional wars, Israel had no choice but to innovate in defense. Its survival instinct became a national mission, and out of necessity came technologies that today are reshaping global security.
Systems like Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow missile defense program were not luxuries-they were lifelines. Israel’s defense industry became a laboratory where urgency drove innovation, and over time those innovations proved so effective that allies around the world began to adopt them.
Consider Greece, which is preparing for a drone war by partnering with Israel. Athens is integrating Israeli systems like Barak MX and SkyCeptor into its defenses, building a multi-layered shield against aerial threats. In India, the lessons of Operation Sindoor have prompted the procurement of additional Heron Mk II drones, recognizing their unmatched surveillance and border defense capabilities. And in Thailand, the purchase of Israel’s Barak MX air defense system marks a significant step in strengthening its national security.
What began as Israel’s survival instinct has become a global security asset, with nations far from the Middle East now safer because of technologies born in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem.
Too often, critics mischaracterize U.S. military aid to Israel as a one-way transfer of cash. The reality is far more nuanced-and far more beneficial to the United States:
1. Most of the aid must be spent in the United States, supporting American defense contractors, workers, and innovation. When Israel receives U.S. military assistance, it is not simply pocketing money; it is purchasing American-made aircraft, munitions, and systems. This requirement ensures that aid dollars circle back into the U.S. economy, sustaining jobs and strengthening the American defense industrial base.
2. Just as important, Israeli improvements to American-made systems are shared back with the U.S. military, enhancing American capabilities. Whether it is avionics for fighter jets, drone technology, or missile defense upgrades, the innovations Israel develops out of necessity often find their way into U.S. arsenals.
The Iron Dome is a prime example. Co-developed with U.S. funding, it has saved countless Israeli lives by intercepting rockets. But it has also provided the U.S. Army with a tested missile defense system, now deployed to protect American forces abroad. Similarly, the Arrow missile defense program, developed jointly by Israel and the U.S., has advanced America’s own ballistic missile defense capabilities.
This is not charity. It is a strategic investment that strengthens both militaries and both economies. The U.S.-Israel defense relationship is a two-way street, where American taxpayers see returns in the form of stronger U.S. defense systems and industrial benefits.
The story of this partnership stretches back decades.
In the 1980s, Israel’s Lavi fighter program pushed the boundaries of design. Though canceled under U.S. pressure, it influenced American aircraft development and underscored Israel’s ability to innovate at the highest level. In the 2010s, Israel’s combat use of the F-35 Adir led to modifications like conformal fuel tanks, now being studied by the U.S. Air Force to extend the range of its own fleet.
And in ground warfare, Israel’s redesign of armored personnel carriers-including upgrades to the U.S. M113-showed how battlefield lessons about fuel tank placement and survivability could be applied to protect American soldiers.
These episodes highlight a truth often overlooked: Israel’s survival-driven ingenuity has repeatedly strengthened U.S. capabilities.
Israel’s defense exports are not just about commerce. They are about sharing hard-earned lessons with the world. Every system Israel sells carries with it decades of battlefield experience, tested under fire. That credibility is why nations trust Israeli technology to protect their citizens. Israel’s fight for survival has become the world’s gain. Its defense innovations, born of necessity, are now protecting skies from Athens to Bangkok. And its misunderstood partnership with the United States is not a drain but a mutually reinforcing alliance-one that makes both nations stronger.
In short: Israel’s survival instinct has become the world’s shield.