The relations with the USA continue to be very tense: the editorial board of Israel Defense has learnt that Israel declined far-reaching proposals for Israeli-American defense cooperation in the context of a massive joint training exercise, designated Juniper Cobra 16, scheduled for early 2016. The exercise should include numerous cooperative activities, including the employment of an Israeli missile defense system that is based, among other things, on American capabilities.

The exercise was scheduled years ago, but over the last few weeks a paradox has emerged: the Americans are willing to cooperate with Israel in the context of the exercise in a manner unprecedented in previous exercises, but the Israeli political echelon decided that IDF will not cooperate with the American willingness. This has given rise to the absurd situation where the Americans are willing to offer us more than we want to receive.

How will this affair end? Apparently, the Israeli defense establishment and the political echelon will wait at least until the process of having the nuclear agreement endorsed by the US Congress has been completed before they put an end to this squabble.