ABSTRACT
Seen from Washington, the problem of Israeli security has clearly separable military and political dimensions. The military dimension, Israel's ability to defend itself against Arab or Soviet attack, has presented the United States with problems of relatively manageable proportions. Israel has maintained continuous military superiority over its neighbours. It has won every round of fighting at least against the Arabs, between 1948 and 1973, and, with the possible exception of the first few days of the Yom Kippur War, neither the security of its vital centres nor its survival has ever been seriously in doubt. The Israelis have espoused the doctrine of self-help and looked to the United States primarily for the supply of military resources. American minatory deployments have only been necessary in the face of potential Soviet intervention. Operational deployments have never been required.
