Biden’s trip to Israel is getting trickier by the day
At what point will Washington acknowledge that our “special bond” is helping forestall peace and hurting US interests in the region?
At what point will Washington acknowledge that our “special bond” is helping forestall peace and hurting US interests in the region?
It’s undeniable that the conflict in Israel-Palestine fuels instability across the region and negatively affects US relations.
The Biden administration will find it tricky to navigate the political scenarios emerging after PM Naftali Bennett lost his majority last week.
The media reporting on the former vice president’s trip didn’t ask the key question: Why?
Tel Aviv has been canny about keeping its neighborhood undemocratic, and the balance of power in its favor.
Without putting up a fight, it shelved its own plan to reverse Trump’s course, dimming hopes for peace talks.
Unless he holds everyone to the same level of accountability, Biden will end up holding the bag for Tel Aviv’s latest Palestinian crackdown.
The new prime minister avoided the drama that tended to follow his predecessor’s visits to Washington.
But don’t expect a lot of pushback on settlements or a renewed push for two state solution. Right now this is about management.
He needs all the friends he can get, with restiveness in the palace and on the Jordanian street, and a greater power struggle in the Middle East.
American taxpayers already replenish the country’s defenses; we should rethink how any additional assistance is used.
While Rep. Joe Wilson accused the media of ignoring Hamas’s role in the violence, other Republicans today called for a halt in aid to Gaza.
With a potential prime minister more right wing than Netanyahu, Biden may have an even harder time pressing Tel Aviv for change.
After the latest round of violence in Gaza, going back to the status quo is no longer an option.
Joe Biden can advance the cause of peace simply by acknowledging the realities of the Israeli occupation.
The president must recognize that many in his own party are no longer bought into blindly accepting a bipartisan consensus.
In fact, GOP presidents were much tougher on Tel Aviv in the wake of its aggression against neighbors, settlements, and civilian attacks.
Baseless claims that US journalists helped launder about the Associated Press and Hamas prompted a right-wing smear campaign.
With the Biden team largely remaining quiet, measures introduced in Congress call for a ceasefire and blocking an arms sale to Israel.
Foreign Affairs Chair Gregory Meeks said he wanted to review the deal but acquiesced to a White House briefing instead.
Baku siding with Tel Aviv opens up vulnerabilities in its relations with Turkey and invites attacks of hypocrisy.