HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL_HJS Friends of Israel Report FINAL.qxd 06/02/2014 09:55 Page 11 ADDED VALUE: ISRAEL’S STRATEGIC WORTH TO THE EU AND ITS MEMBER STATES and security expertise on different subjects, an increase (or EUCOM, the US military command which in the number of joint Israel-NATO military exercises includes Europe and Israel) installed an X-band and further cooperation in the fight against nuclear missile-shield radar base in Israel’s Negev desert. The proliferation.”45 r one in Turkey, is part of the base, along with a simila Israel’s experience in dealing with terrorism and ‘Aegis’ US-NATO missile-defence system, designed to guerrilla groups has been a boon to NATO members. protect Europe from ballistic missiles of the type that Iran is believed to be developing.51 In 2009, NATO’s Science for Peace and Security programme sponsored a three-day course in Haifa, for The same year, details emerged of secret rocedures in mass-casualty German-Israeli co-operation on a project for detecting dealing with emergency p situations. 46 The same year, Adm. Giampaolo Di incoming nuclear-tipped missiles. Codenamed ‘Project Paola – then-chairman of NATO’s Military Bluebird’, it is designed to detect nuclear-tipped oy missiles that could Committee – visited Israel, to study IDF tactics to missiles among a cluster of dec apply to NATO operations in Afghanistan. Di Paola be launched against Europe in the event of nuclear was particularly interested in Israeli specialised armour war. The project is likely just the tip of the iceberg of against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), as well bilateral anti-nuclear efforts, most of which remain as intelligence gathering and tactics for fighting terror highly classified.52 reas.47 in civilian-populated a In addition, for the last decade, Israel and the US have This visit came just weeks after the issuance of the staged large biennial missile-defence drills, nicknamed infamous Goldstone Report – which alleged that Israel ‘Juniper Cobra’. The 2012 iteration – by far the d – was joined by had committed war crimes by deliberately targeting largest-ever US-Israeli drill of any kin civilians in Gaza (though Goldstone himself later Germany and the United Kingdom, 53 and top disavowed that contention). 48 49 The contrast was US-military officers overseeing the operation confirmed striking: within weeks of the European Parliament that insights gleaned from it would be applied to endorsing the report, the European chair of NATO’s strengthening the missile shield for Europe.54 the third time military committee was visiting Israel, for This tight co-operation has led a number of high-level in four years,50 to study ethical methods for dealing European decision-makers to call for Israel to be with terror insurgencies without causing undue harm granted full NATO membership. Spain’s former to civilians. t he is prime minister, José María Aznar, has said tha Israel also plays an integral strategic role in Europe’s “fully convinced” that Israel ought to be included in nuclear defences. In 2008, US European Command the alliance, a move that would help thwart Iran’s nuclear-weapons drive and stem the tide of radical 45 Barak Ravid, “NATO okays pact to boost security, political ties with Israel,” Islam: “If Iran sees and feels that Israel is an integral Haaretz, 2 December 2008, available at: http://www.haaretz.com/ part of the West, I think our deterrence posture will news/nato-okays-pact-to-boost-security-political-ties-with-israel-1.258681 (accessed 13 November 2013). 46 “NATO helps prepare emergency response professionals for mass 51 Jonathan Masters and Greg Bruno, “What i casualty situations,” NATO, 16-18 November 2009, available at: s the ballistic missile threat from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_59390.htm?mode=news Iran?”, in “U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense,” Council on Foreign Relations, 1 May (accessed 13 November 2013). 2013, available at: http://www.cfr.org/missile-defense/us-ballistic- 47 Yaakov Katz, “NATO chief comes to study IDF tactics,” missile-defense/p30607#p6; see also: “Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense,” Missile The Jerusalem Post Defense Agency – U.S. Department of Defense, available at: http://www.mda.mil/ , 20 Nove mber 2009, available at: system/aegis_bmd.html (both accessed 18 November 2013). http://www.jpost.com/Israel/NATO-chief-comes-to-study-IDF-tactics kov Lappin, “Israel, Germany develop nuclear warning system,” (accessed 13 November 2013). 52 Yaa The Jerusalem Post, 17 November 2008, available at: http://www.jpost.com/ 48 “European Parliament backs Goldstone report,” International/Israel-Germany-develop-nuclear-warning-system The Associated Press, 3 October 2010, available at: (accessed 19 November 2013). http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3860934,00.html 53 Tony Capaccio, “U.S.-Israeli Military Exercise Sending Message to Iran,” (accessed 13 November 2013). Bloomberg Businessweek, 15 October 2012, available at: 49 Ethan Bronner and Isabel Kershner, “Head of U.N. Panel Regrets Saying -dot-israeli- http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-15/u-dot-s Israel Intentionally Killed Gazans,” The New York Times, 2 April 2011, available military-exercise-sending-message-to-iran (accessed 13 November 2013). at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/03/world/middleeast/03goldstone.html 54 Dan Williams, “U.S. sees Israel drill helping Europe missile shield,” Reuters, 22 (accessed 20 November 2013). October 2009, available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/10/22/ 50 Yaakov Katz, “NATO chief comes to study IDF tactics,” us-israel-usa-iran-idUSTRE59L3GC20091022; see also: Michael Barajas, The Jerusalem Post, 20 November 2009, available at: “US-Israel drill may shape European missile shield,” The Associated Press, 27 http://www.jpost.com/Israel/NATO-chief-comes-to-study-IDF-tactics able at: http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/ October 2009, avail (accessed 13 November 2013). 2010146317_apmlisraelmissileexercise.html (both accessed 13 November 2013). 9