Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram on Wednesday said that Israel views Iran as more dangerous than the US views it, leading to different policy decisions and interests, even as both view Tehran as a threat.
"The difference between us is not in how we understand the threat, but in our priorities: for us, Iran is an existential threat; for the United States, it is a chronic regional challenge, while China and the Indo-Pacific theater remain the core concern. We think Tehran, they think Taiwan," said Baram.
He added, "We cannot afford to judge current American policy through a provincial lens. What some in Israel perceive as weakness or folly, an apparent disregard for every warning sign on the ground, is viewed in Washington as cold, calculated, and clear-eyed risk management in an era of shifting global attention."
Addressing why extra criticism of Israel and of Iran has come from the Pentagon, the director-general stated, "From the Pentagon's perspective, with American munitions stretched between supporting current wars and preparing for a potential confrontation in the Taiwan Strait, a prolonged war in the Middle East runs counter to America's global posture.
Baram continued, "At the same time, based on my deep familiarity with the range of views within the American system, if there is one thing Americans hate more than this war that has dragged on for them, it is losing a campaign they have already won. Either way, as the United States operates under an America First approach, our partnership cannot rest on shared values alone."
MoU to govern US-Israeli relationship for a decade, rests on independence, stability
Moving on to discussing the upcoming Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which will govern the Israeli-US military relationship for a decade to come after 2028, he said, "It must also rest on hard interests: a strong, independent, and proactive Israel that stabilizes the Middle East is the very asset that allows the United States to redirect resources toward Asia.
"This is the foundation of the next Memorandum of Understanding on security cooperation now being formulated. The agreement will need to generate security, economic, and strategic benefits for both countries for years to come."