President Trump has ordered that the most important U.S. military command for the Middle East be extended to Israel, in a final reorganization of the U.S. defense structure that pro-Israel groups have long advocated, U.S. officials said Thursday.
The move means that the US Central Command would oversee US military policy involving both Israel and Arab countries, a departure from the decades of US military command structure instituted due to the disagreement between Israel and some of its Arab allies. the Pentagon.
This is the latest in a series of Trump administration policies to shape the national security agenda that President-elect Joe Biden will inherit. The change was recently announced by Mr. Trump ordered, but has not yet been announced. A Biden transition official declined to comment on the move.
US military responsibility for Israel has long been assigned to its European command. That arrangement enabled American generals in the Middle East to communicate with Arab states without having a close connection with Israel, which at the time was seen as an adversary in the Arab world.
Following the Abraham Accords that led to the normalization of Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, the pro-Israel groups increased their intention to take the Central Command responsibility for military operations and Israel’s planning for greater promote cooperation between Israel and its Arab neighbors.