MAI QUYEN (According to Al Jazeera)
US support for Israel has been a special existence in the Middle East since World War II, but recently, observers have assessed that this strategic relationship has become "strange" as Washington tries to adapt to the public "rejection" reaction from the Jewish State.
Smoke rises during an Israeli raid in the West Bank. Photo: Reuters
Last weekend, US Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides tweeted a video of himself and Israeli soldiers on the border with Lebanon, with everyone chanting “Peace be upon you.” It was considered unusual for a US official to be seen alongside Israeli forces, especially at a time when the Jewish state’s military operations are causing concern in the region and the international community.
Ambassador Nides is not the only US official to engage in “dangerous diplomacy ” as Washington faces skepticism and discontent from the Israeli government. According to observers, Israeli officials have repeatedly challenged the official US stance in support of Palestinian statehood. In addition to showing a cold attitude towards the Joe Biden administration, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also openly ignored Washington’s warnings about fostering closer ties with China. Previously, Mr. Netanyahu even accused the US leader of “interfering” in Israel’s internal affairs after President Biden commented on the controversial judicial reform process in the ally country.
In a move to soften the blow, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during his Middle East tour last month, tried to persuade Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel, despite the latter’s continued expansion of illegal settlements and increased violence against Palestinians that have upset Washington and its new partners in the Gulf. The US Congress had previously invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to address both houses of Congress on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the State of Israel’s independence.
The honor has been bestowed on Netanyahu three times, most recently in 2015 when Netanyahu rallied US lawmakers against the Obama administration over the Iran nuclear deal. In 2011, Netanyahu publicly humiliated President Obama at the White House, but that did not stop Washington from pledging $38 billion in military aid to Tel Aviv over 10 years. Under President Donald Trump, the US also recognized Israel's unilateral annexation of Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which are disputed with Syria. Since taking office in 2021, President Biden has not reversed any major concessions, while expanding military commitments to Israel in a new strategic memorandum.
Behind the US concessions
According to analysts, the current “excessive” support for Israel by the US is partly due to the need to stabilize the domestic political situation. With the Democratic Party’s slim majority in the Senate, President Biden wants to avoid losing the support of the traditionally pro-Israel faction in the party.
This concession is also a tradition of US foreign policy, which revolves around meeting Israel’s needs to encourage it to moderate its stance in peace negotiations with the Palestinians, sometimes making necessary “compromises”. Finally, there is Washington’s strategic thinking. Historically, the US has maintained a strong and consistent strategic partnership with Israel, considering it its most reliable ally in the Middle East despite political and diplomatic ups and downs. But with Israel, on the contrary, analysts say Tel Aviv’s goal is to “stuck” the US in the Middle East to clear its way. This was mentioned by Mr. Netanyahu before Congress when he said that China’s growing presence in the region might “not be so bad” because it forces the US to continue to engage.
On July 3, the Palestinian Authority decided to suspend all communications, meetings and security cooperation with the Israeli Government. The announcement was made after Tel Aviv launched its largest offensive in the West Bank in 20 years, targeting gunmen from the Jenin Brigade. The attacks left at least eight Palestinians dead and 100 others injured.
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