On September 1, 2021, U.S. Central Command assumed responsibility for U.S. forces in Israel, which had previously been within U.S. European Command’s area of responsibility. The Pentagon said the move would support closer operational collaboration between the Israel Defense Forces and CENTCOM partners. It changed which U.S. combatant command managed the relationship, rather than transferring the IDF into U.S. command.
Why the command change mattered
CENTCOM covers the Middle East and nearby areas where Israel’s principal security concerns are concentrated. In April 2021, CENTCOM commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie told Congress that Israel already conducted most operational business with U.S. Central Command, and that the realignment reflected an operational reality while consolidating U.S. responsibility. CENTCOM announced the change as an opportunity to deepen collaboration with regional partners.
The realignment placed regional military planning and exercises involving Israel under CENTCOM’s command channel. CENTCOM statements and congressional testimony describe multilateral exercises and forums involving Israel and regional participants after normalization. Multilateral exercises and forums have brought Israel and regional participants together after normalization.
What the Abraham Accords established
The 2020 Abraham Accords Declaration was accompanied by separate normalization instruments. Israel and the United Arab Emirates signed a treaty establishing diplomatic relations, and Israel and Bahrain issued a joint declaration establishing peaceful relations. Morocco announced steps to normalize relations with Israel in December 2020 under a separate arrangement. Sudan’s process involved a distinct declaration and subsequent steps, rather than the same treaty format as the UAE and Bahrain documents.
The agreements opened formal channels for diplomacy, commerce and direct contacts. Their security implications arise from later decisions and bilateral or multilateral activity; the accords themselves do not set up a unified military command or require joint operations. A Congressional Research Service report describes Israel’s 2021 entry into CENTCOM and participation in regional exercises after the 2020 normalization agreements.
Concrete cooperation and its limits
The command realignment and diplomatic normalization made regional contact easier to organize. CENTCOM brings partners into exercises and discussions, while each state retains its own forces, policies and commitments.
For background, read the partnership timeline and the U.S.-Israel security-assistance framework.