As American support for Israel is under pressure at home Moshe Koppel is making the case that the U.S.-Israel relationship should evolve in favor of a new mutually beneficial strategic partnership. With military aid, technology transfer, and intelligence sharing at the core, Koppel frames the alliance as critical to the security and innovation agendas of both nations.
His comments come at a time when U.S. voters are increasingly divided over support for Israeli policies in Gaza, and as regional power shifts—including Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the rise of new Arab-Israeli alliances—demand a reassessment of traditional alignments.
Koppel, a professor of mathematics and computer science specializing in machine learning, is the founder and chairman of the Kohelet Policy Forum, a conservative Israeli think tank. Established in 2012, Kohelet plays a role in shaping Israeli policy, drafting laws, and preparing research papers for members of the Knesset and cabinet.
He believes that the partnership between the United States and Israel is often misunderstood. "The idea that Israel is a supplicant... that's not the right way to characterize the relationship," he says. He stresses that the relationship is mutually beneficial and goes far beyond shared values like loyalty to family, nation, and faith. "Let's just talk brass tacks interests.”
First, Koppel highlights Israel's role in "battle testing" American defense systems. "Planes, missile defense systems, you name it," he says. "Israel are the ones who are using those systems and proving that they work." Second, he points to the two-way flow of technology between the countries. "Israel develops technology—tons of it—that makes its way back to the United States.”
Another crucial benefit is intelligence sharing. "Israel is able to provide intelligence across the Middle East, even in places where the United States can't go," he says. While much of this work is classified, Koppel assures, "Everybody who needs to know, knows exactly how much the U.S. benefits from Israeli intelligence."
Koppel describes Israel as "a risk-free military base for the United States in the Middle East," saving America "a lot of blood and treasure." He contrasts Israel’s steadfast alliance with America's more precarious relationships with countries like Qatar, which he characterizes as unreliable.
He is direct about criticism of Israel’s unrelenting war on Hamas, as well as it’s aggressive posture toward Iran and others in the regio: "Israel needs to be strong so that they don't get killed by those enemies–Israel is not looking to conquer Iraq or Iran." He summarizes, "If the Arabs would put down their arms, there'd be no more war,” and adds, “If Israel would put down its arms, there'd be no more Israel."
Koppel is particularly focused on the strategic importance of Judea and Samaria. "It's the biblical heartland," he says. But the concern isn't only symbolic. "Geography really matters," he says. "Judea and Samaria are the high ground—you control the whole country from the mountaintop."
Drawing parallels to past experiences, he references Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. "We pulled out of Gaza completely... Shortly thereafter, Hamas took over Gaza and used it as a launching pad for rockets into Israeli communities." Koppel warns against repeating the mistake in Judea and Samaria.
He proposes a reimagined version of the Trump administration's "Deal of the Century" for the region. He also supports the creation of autonomous municipalities for Arab populations rather than a centralized Palestinian state. "Let's make these separate municipalities," he says, allowing different clans to govern themselves locally.
Koppel sees opportunities for deeper U.S.-Israel collaboration. "We need to have data centers together," he says, pointing to areas like AI and quantum computing. He advocates for Israel’s inclusion in intelligence-sharing alliances like the "Five Eyes."
Koppel also sees expanding the Abraham Accords as a priority. While Saudi Arabia has been a focus, he suggests pivoting to other countries like Indonesia. "If we start with Indonesia, I think the Saudis are going to come in at a much lower price," he reasons.
The focus, according to Koppel, should be to transform U.S. policy to reflect realities in the U.S.-Israel alliance. "I think we've got an opportunity now over the next three and a half years to change the way we think about this relationship," he says. "We genuinely see each other as partners and as friends and as equals—maybe not equal in size and strength, but equal in the sense that we're working together for the same values and the same interests."
The Peace & Power Israel podcast explores how America uses diplomacy, military, and other instruments of power to seek and preserve peace in Israel and is hosted by Matt Faraci. If you’d like to listen to the full episode with him and Moshe Koppel please follow the links at our Federal Newswire Podcast page.
