During the 1950s and 1960s there were no formal strategic relations between Israel and the United States. At the end of the 70’s and the 80’s those relations began to develop more deeply. There is a long history of dialogues which continue to these days. The two advanced their relations quite far without formal agreements. Public formal agreements between the two countries came much later.  In 1998, Israel and the United States signed a Memorandum Agreement recognizing the need to preserve Israel’s military edge.  In 1999, the two countries signed a Common Statement, which recognized Israel’s right to defend itself.  In 2004, President Bush released a letter to Prime Minister Sharon, recognizing Israel’s need to remain a Jewish State by rejecting the Palestinian claim to a “right of return,” and also recognizing the fact that expecting Israel to withdraw to the 1949 lines without taking into account the new reality on the ground would be unrealistic.  US alliances can be formal or non, and upgrading relations with Israel does not necessarily imply the establishment of a formal alliance.  The bottom line question is: Should the two countries look for an upgrade at this point?  There are reasons to think so, since issues such as Israel’s military cooperation with China are less sensitive or even relevant in the realm of US-Israel relations.  But, on the other hand, there are still issues that might suggest that a formal alliance is not feasible at this point.  One concern is Israel’s traditional security approach: Israel would not likely rely on the US for its own defense.  Would a formal upgrade really add up to Israel’s deterrence?  Not necessarily.  Establishing a formal alliance with Israel might also be politically costly for the United States in terms of its relations with the Arab world.  But upgrade should be encouraged in areas such as technological cooperation.