IDF, US Army celebrate inauguration of first American base in IsraelJerusalem Post, Sep 18, 2017
For the first time, the US Army has opened a permanent base on Israeli soil, flying the Stars and Stripes inside an IDF base.
“Due to the close cooperation between us and the American forces in the field of air defense, as well as the extensive experience accumulated by the Aerial Defense Division, it was decided that the first permanent base of the American army would be established at the School of Air Defense,” Brig.-Gen. Zvika Haimovich, head of the Aerial Defense Division, said on Monday.
This is the first time that we have an American flag flying in an IDF base,” Haimovich said, following the “historic and exciting” inauguration of the base attended by the US defense attaché other senior military officials.
The base, Haimovich said, “represents the long-standing partnership, the strategic commitment between the armies and the militaries of our countries,” and “adds another layer to the security of the State of Israel in defending [against] the threats of rocket or missile fire.”
Several dozen American soldiers will be stationed at the base in Israel’s south, which America and Israel have been working on for two years, and will have all the facilities necessary for a permanent presence, Haimovich said. The American soldiers, Haimovich stressed, will operate US systems, not Israeli ones.
While he would not go into detail regarding whether or not the Americans would take part in any combat operations, Haimovich said “it’s much more significant than that. There’s an American presence here, a military force, not civilians.”
Both countries remain concerned that Iran has continued to work on its nuclear program as well as its ballistic missile program.
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http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/IDF-US-Army-celebrate-inauguration-of-first-American-base-in-Israel-505452
