Reports now circulating in the International circuit and picked up by Israeli press suggest that Washington is considering a long-term military presence in Israel following the joint U.S.–Israeli campaign against Iran. Israel Hayom has written that American officials are weighing whether to leave a significant force in place rather than rely exclusively on the old network of Gulf bases. Previous reporting, including from Channel 12, had described discussions about relocating parts of the U.S. regional posture from increasingly constrained Arab hosts to Israeli territory, further validating leaked information. Whether the proposal matures into policy and the timing thereof remains uncertain to date. The strategic logic behind it, however, is sound.

A permanent U.S. base in Israel would be a prudent development and one that deserves support. It would not mark a revolution in American strategy. It would formalize an existing reality. Israel is already Washington’s most dependable military partner in the region. The United States already depends on Israeli intelligence, Israeli missile defence integration, and Israeli operational coordination. The question is not whether the alliance exists. It does. But it should finally be organized with the clarity that present conditions require.

For decades, American power in the Middle East rested on a Gulf architecture built around Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. That arrangement reflected the strategic assumptions of another era. It assumed that energy security required permanent deference to Gulf........

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