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Here's why the US and Israel are such close allies

"Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East," said Koplow, who added that there are "many shared societal values between US and Israel."

US President Donald Trump (R) looks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a joint news conference at the White House in Washington, US, February 15, 2017.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, was one of the first foreign leaders to visit US President Donald Trump after his election in November and his inauguration in January for a simple reason — the US and Israel have one of the strongest military to military alliances in the world.

But why?

The US supports Israel in diplomatic and military matters not because of the strength of pro-Israel lobbies like the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee, or out of sympathy stemming from the events of World War II, but for practical reasons.

Michael Koplow, a Middle East analyst at the Israel Policy Forum, told Business Insider that the US's alliance with Israel owes to two key factors — intelligence sharing and ideological unity.

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Israel's intelligence and insights into Middle Eastern affairs is "unparalleled" throughout the world and "benefits the US in all sorts of ways." For decades, intelligence analysts have regarded Israel's Unit 8200 as one of the most elite in the world. The unit functions similarly to the US National Security Agency, and the two work closely together.

In 2010, for example, the US and Israel collaborated on one of the most-sophisticated malware systems ever created, Stuxnet, to infiltrate Iran's cyber infrastructure and slow progress towards nuclear weapons without firing a shot. In missile defense as well, US and Israel have worked together to field some of the most effective systems around.

Unlike other US allies in NATO and the Pacific, the US has no forward-based troops in Israel, which could serve as a "

Like the US, or virtually any country on earth, Israel is not without its enemies. The United Nations has pushed back on Israel's treatment of Palestinians and their support for Jewish settlements outside of Israel's borders.

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Specifically, Israel just pushed through legislation that retroactively legalizes about 4,000 settler homes built on privately-owned Palestinian land in a move that a UN spokesperson called a "

"If you’re a supporter of the Palestinian cause, it’s reasonable to ask why the US is supporting Israel," said Koplow, adding that many in the US

Correction: This article has removed a reference to settlements in Gaza, which Israel unilaterally pulled out of in 2005, and the claim that Israel 'knowingly' attacked the USS Liberty. We regret the error.

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