ABSTRACT
The United States and Israel are close allies. It is one of the few US alliances often characterized as a special relationship, with top leaders on both sides regularly praising the strength, importance, and durability of the alliance. The relations, President William Bill Clinton said, are "not just an alliance but a profound friendship." In 2017, US policy on many issues is undergoing significant change under President Donald Trump, but the US-Israeli reliance remains important to both parties and thus does not appear subject to reconsideration. The only other great power was the United States, so the development of the US-Israeli link was as good as things could have gone for Israel. In other words, the US-Israeli alliance and need for US-Arab ties for energy, at a minimum, complicate those energy relations. Arab states are uncomfortable to hostile about US support for Israel, sometimes making for unsettled economic relations.
