Israel is now officially a strategic partner of the United States , a classification held by no other nation, according to a bill signed into law by US President Barack Obama.
The United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 took more than a year to draft in Congress, and became an omnibus bill for the US-Israel relationship, reinforcing cooperation across industries with a focus on defense.
Signing the law, the president hailed its bipartisan support and said it “reflects the importance placed by my administration on strengthening and deepening US-Israel bilateral cooperation and ties.”
“It reinforces critical defense and security programs, which have reached an unprecedented level under my administration,” Obama said. “It also lays the groundwork for increased trade and cooperation across a range of cutting-edge fields, including energy, water, agriculture and technology.”
Recommitting the US to maintaining Israel’s “qualitative military edge” over its neighbors in the Middle East, the act expands authority for the forward deployment of US-made weapons stockpiles in Israeli conflicts.
It is the policy of the United States, the bill reads, “to reaffirm the unwavering support of the people and the government of the United States for the security of Israel as a Jewish state.”(Why did it take so long to state the obvious? It looks like president Obama, after many years of anti-Israel policy, at the end of his tender is trying to write his name in history books. First, he ‘normalized’ relationship with Cuba , but has not really welcomed Israel as a strategic partner. Obama has reserved the right to interpret!)
http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Elevating-US-Israel-alliance-Obama-hails-his-role-385269?