May 6, 1986
Israel and the United States sign a secret agreement for Israeli participation in Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”) research, a Reagan administration effort to develop a space-based defense against ballistic nuclear missiles.
President Ronald Reagan considered Israel a strategic asset because of its opposition to the Soviet Union. On November 30, 1981, Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a framework for cooperation to enhance the national security of both countries and to counter the Soviet threat. But on December 18, 1981, the State Department suspended the memorandum in response to Israel annexing the Syrian Golan Heights.
In November 1983, Israel and the United States renewed the dialogue on bilateral strategic cooperation, forming a joint political-military committee to implement most of the 1981 MOU provisions. Joint air and sea military exercises commenced in June 1984, and the United States began constructing facilities to stockpile military equipment in Israel.
A 1988 U.S.-Israel agreement designates Israel a “major non-NATO ally of the United States,” a status Israel has long sought. The designation gives Israel preferential treatment in bidding for Department of Defense contracts, as well as lower prices on U.S. military equipment. On September 8, 1989, Israeli Defense Minister Yitzhak Rabin and U.S. Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney sign an agreement allowing Israel to lease U.S. equipment and pre-positioning up to $100 million worth of U.S. military supplies in Israel.
Under the Strategic Defense Initiative, Israel develops the Arrow system against ballistic missiles and the Iron Dome system against short-range rockets and missiles.
