Israel and NATO member countries each face military challenges. While Israel continues to deal with the volatile security situation in the Middle East and the threat posed by neighboring terrorist organizations, its European allies have little experience in this regard. However, in the wake of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine the security situation in Europe has significantly changed, prompting political calls for new military cooperation.
NATO has cooperated with Israel for decades. The new security situation now suggests a strengthened military partnership with Israel. Israel has repeatedly had to respond to attacks and protect itself from existential threats and therefore has invested tremendously in building up its defense and security sector. As a result, it offers partners in Europe and NATO unique expertise from which they can benefit.
In this ELNET-Germany Briefing “NATO and Israel: From Cooperation to Partnership”, Prof. Dr. Shlomo Shpiro, ELNET-Germany Fellow, sheds light on the cooperation between Israel and NATO. The paper also analyzes potential areas of deepened cooperation, and summarizes key lessons learned from previous military engagements.