Jerusalem Post columnist urges Europe and Israel to reduce dependence on the US
In Israel, columnist Shay Gal called on Europe and Israel to develop defense capabilities less dependent on the United States. In an article published by The Jerusalem Post, he argues that Europe’s and Israel’s security interests are closer to each other in many areas than they are to Washington.
According to the author, geography connects the Arctic, the Baltic region, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Levant and the Red Sea into a single security system. He lists missile and drone threats, maritime coercion, disruptions to trade routes and cable infrastructure, energy and cyber vulnerabilities, as well as the influence of Russia, Iran and Turkey among the shared challenges.
Dependence on approvals and supplies
Gal believes that Europe depends on American protection, while Israel depends on US approvals, including licenses, components, replenishment of stockpiles and export approvals. He refers to the 2016 memorandum of understanding between the United States and Israel, which tied US funding to the purchase of goods and services in the United States and provided for the gradual phaseout of the option for domestic procurement in Israel by 2028.
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The author proposes assessing the sovereignty of defense capabilities by whether a state can produce, modify, integrate, replenish, transfer and use weapons without another country’s permission. He cites Germany’s procurement of Arrow 3 systems and Finland’s procurement of David’s Sling as examples. In Gal’s assessment, Israeli systems strengthen Europe’s security, but US approval remains part of their export architecture.
The Lisbon 2.0 proposal
The column proposes a Lisbon 2.0 model, whose legal basis the author calls Article 42(7) of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty. It provides for mutual assistance to member states in the event of armed aggression. In Gal’s view, NATO should remain Europe’s main military instrument against Russia, but should not be the only mechanism for organizing European security.
The author argues that Israel can be the principal military partner of this model outside the EU on the southeastern flank. In his view, Europe can gain Israeli experience in missile defense, intelligence, unmanned systems and electronic warfare, while Israel needs European industrial, aerospace, maritime, transport and space capabilities.
