Memorandum of Understanding Between Israel and the United States Regarding
Prevention of the Supply of Arms and Related Materiel to Terrorist Groups
January 16, 2009.
Israel and the United States (the "Parties"),
Recalling the steadfast commitment of the United States to Israel's security,
including secure, defensible borders, and to preserve and strengthen Israel's
capability to deter and defend itself, by itself, against any threat or possible
combination of threats;
Reaffirming that such commitment is reflected in the security, military and
intelligence cooperation between the United States and Israel, the Strategic
Dialogue between them, and the level and kind of assistance provided by the
United States to Israel;
Taking note of the efforts of Egyptian President Mubarak, particularly the
recognition that securing Gaza's border is indispensable to realizing a durable
and sustainable end to fighting in Gaza;
Unequivocally condemning all acts, methods, and practices of terrorism as
unjustifiable, wherever and by whomever committed and whatever the
motivation, in particular, the recent rocket and mortar attacks and other hostile
activity perpetrated against Israel from Gaza by terrorist organizations;
Recognizing that suppression of acts of international terrorism, including
denying the provision of arms and related materiel to terrorist organizations, is
an essential element for the maintenance of international peace and security;
Recognizing that the acquisition and use of arms and related materiel by
terrorists against Israel were the direct causes of recent hostilities;
Recognizing the threat to Israel of hostile and terrorist activity from Gaza,
including weapons smuggling and the build-up of terrorist capabilities, weapons
and infrastructure; and understanding that Israel, like all nations, enjoys the
inherent right of self defense, including the right to defend itself against
terrorism through appropriate action;
Desiring to improve bilateral, regional and multilateral efforts to prevent the
provision of arms and related materiel to terrorist organizations, particularly
those currently operating in the Gaza Strip, such as Hamas;
Recognizing that achieving and maintaining a durable and sustainable cessation
of hostilities is dependent upon prevention of smuggling and re-supply of
weapons into Gaza for Hamas, a terrorist organization, and other terrorist
groups, and affirming that Gaza should not be used as a base from which Israel
may be attacked;
Recognizing also that combating weapons and explosives supply to Gaza is a
multi-dimensional, results-oriented effort with a regional focus and international
components working in parallel, and that this is a priority of the United States'
and Israel's efforts, independently and with each other, to ensure a durable and
sustainable end to hostilities;
Recognizing further the crucial need for the unimpeded, safe and secure
provision of humanitarian assistance to the residents of Gaza;
Intending to work with international partners to ensure the enforcement of
relevant United Nations Security Council Resolutions on counterterrorism in
relation to terrorist activity in Gaza;
Have reached the following understandings:
- The Parties will work
cooperatively with neighbors and in parallel with others in the international
community to prevent the supply of arms and related materiel to terrorist
organizations that threaten either party, with a particular focus on the supply of
arms, related materiel and explosives into Gaza to Hamas and other terrorist
organizations.
- The United States will work with regional and NATO partners to address
the problem of the supply of arms and related materiel and weapons transfers
and shipments to Hamas and other terrorist organizations in Gaza, including
through the Mediterranean, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and eastern Africa, through
improvements in existing arrangements or the launching of new initiatives to
increase the effectiveness of those arrangements as they relate to the
prevention of weapons smuggling to Gaza. Among the tools that will be
pursued are:
- Enhanced U.S. security and intelligence cooperation
with regional governments on actions to prevent weapons and explosives flows
to Gaza that originate in or transit their territories; including through the
involvement of relevant components of the U.S. Government, such as U.S.
Central Command, U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S.
Special Operations Command.
- Enhanced intelligence fusion with key
international and coalition naval forces and other appropriate entities to address
weapons supply to Gaza;
- Enhancement of the existing international
sanctions and enforcement mechanisms against provision of material support to
Hamas and other terrorist organizations, including through an international
response to those states, such as Iran, who are determined to be sources of
weapons and explosives supply to Gaza.
- The United States and Israel will assist each other in these efforts through
enhanced sharing of information and intelligence that would assist in identifying
the origin and routing of weapons being supplied to terrorist organizations in
Gaza.
- The United States will accelerate its efforts to provide logistical and
technical assistance and to train and equip regional security forces in
counter-smuggling tactics, working towards augmenting its existing assistance
programs.
- The United States will consult and work with its regional partners on
expanding international assistance programs to affected communities in order to
provide an alternative income/employment to those formerly involved in
smuggling.
- The Parties will establish mechanisms as appropriate for military and
intelligence cooperation to share intelligence information and to monitor
implementation of the steps undertaken in the context of this Memorandum of
Understanding and to recommend additional measures to advance the goals of
this Memorandum of Understanding. In so far as military cooperation is
concerned, the relevant mechanism will be the United States-Israel Joint
Counterterrorism Group, the annual Military to Military discussion, and the Joint
Political Military Group.
- This Memorandum of Understanding of ongoing political commitments
between the Parties will be subject to the laws and regulations of the respective
parties, as applicable, including those governing the availability of funds and the
sharing of information and intelligence.
This Memorandum of
Understanding was signed on 16 January, 2009 at Washington, in duplicate, in
the English language.
