Joe Biden is working harder and harder to keep things the same in Israel as they are.
The White House is already concerned about the Israeli prime minister’s new far-right government, which includes openly anti-Arab racists and has pledged to expand illegal settlements in the occupied territories and annex Palestinian land.
Bezalel Smotrich, who is finance minister and the leader of the Religious Zionist party but doesn’t want a Palestinian state, quickly started a fight with the Palestinian Authority by seizing some of its money and calling it an “enemy.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister and leader of the Jewish Power party, has started a crackdown on Israeli anti-government protesters and instructed the police to tear down Palestinian flags because of their “identification with terrorism.” Ben-Gvir has also called for the expulsion of “disloyal” Arab citizens of Israel from the country.
Legislation to restrict the judiciary’s ability to thwart government policies has already been introduced by Netanyahu’s own Likud party.
Biden was in uncharted territory, according to Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for six US administrations.
Read more “No administration has ever encountered an Israeli government like this,” he stated. The far right in Israel hits the ground running.
Miller stated that the administration’s immediate response is containment, despite the fact that the White House has some boundaries, such as if Israel uses the Palestinian Authority’s growing weakness to annex territory.
He stated, “They are going to go to great lengths to avoid a long-term confrontation with the Israelis.”
There has already been a lot of diplomatic activity. Ron Dermer, the Israeli minister for strategic affairs and Netanyahu’s point person with the US, arrived in Washington earlier this week for talks. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, is expected to visit Israel next week in anticipation of Antony Blinker, the secretary of state, arriving in Jerusalem at the end of the month. Then, in February, Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington.
The Palestinians are now mentioned alongside Iran’s nuclear program, Israel’s reluctance to join the US in its fight against Russia in Ukraine, and the Jewish state’s relations with the Arab world as a whole.
However, the Palestinians are still a part of the discussions, at least insofar as the White House does not want Israel to do anything that would force Washington to take a stand. Last week, Sullivan told NPR that the US’s policy is based on keeping what some say is the appearance of a “peace process.”
“We will oppose policies and practices that undermine the viability of the two-state solution or that cut hard against the historic status quo in Jerusalem. We continue to support the two-state solution. He added, “And I will be clear and direct on those points.”
Miller recently co-wrote an article in which she urged Vice President Joe Biden to make a threat to cut off weapons supplies to Israel if the new government uses them to annex Palestinian land, expel Arabs, or finally eliminate the increasingly remote possibility of a Palestinian state. However, the president does not appear to be taking such action.
Biden naturally supports Israel. Biden is familiar with Netanyahu and has been humiliated by him. Miller stated, “But at the same time he has a deep, deep sense of commitment to Israel.”
Second, I believe Biden recognizes that this is bad politics. He doesn’t want to be caught between the Republican party, which is hounding him for his criticism of Israel, and his own Democratic party, which is becoming increasingly divided on the issue.
Former Palestinian leadership negotiator Khaled Elgindy agreed that Biden does not have the stomach for a fight because of President Obama’s humiliating retreat in 2009 when he attempted to compel a settlement construction freeze on Netanyahu.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, the security minister and leader of the Jewish Power party, has started a crackdown on Israeli anti-government protesters and instructed the police to tear down Palestinian flags because of their “identification with terrorism.” Ben-Gvir has also called for the expulsion of “disloyal” Arab citizens of Israel from the country.
Legislation to restrict the judiciary’s ability to thwart government policies has already been introduced by Netanyahu’s own Likud party.
Biden was in uncharted territory, according to Aaron David Miller, who served as an adviser on Israeli-Palestinian negotiations for six US administrations.
Read more “No administration has ever encountered an Israeli government like this,” he stated. The far right in Israel hits the ground running.
Miller stated that the administration’s immediate response is containment, despite the fact that the White House has some boundaries, such as if Israel uses the Palestinian Authority’s growing weakness to annex territory.
He stated, “They are going to go to great lengths to avoid a long-term confrontation with the Israelis.”
There has already been a lot of diplomatic activity. Ron Dermer, the Israeli minister for strategic affairs and Netanyahu’s point person with the US, arrived in Washington earlier this week for talks. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, is expected to visit Israel next week in anticipation of Antony Blinker, the secretary of state, arriving in Jerusalem at the end of the month. Then, in February, Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to Washington.
The Palestinians are now mentioned alongside Iran’s nuclear program, Israel’s reluctance to join the US in its fight against Russia in Ukraine, and the Jewish state’s relations with the Arab world as a whole.
However, the Palestinians are still a part of the discussions, at least insofar as the White House does not want Israel to do anything that would force Washington to take a stand. Last week, Sullivan told NPR that the US’s policy is based on keeping what some say is the appearance of a “peace process.”
“We will oppose policies and practices that undermine the viability of the two-state solution or that cut hard against the historic status quo in Jerusalem. We continue to support the two-state solution. He added, “And I will be clear and direct on those points.”
Miller recently co-wrote an article in which she urged Vice President Joe Biden to make a threat to cut off weapons supplies to Israel if the new government uses them to annex Palestinian land, expel Arabs, or finally eliminate the increasingly remote possibility of a Palestinian state. However, the president does not appear to be taking such action.
Biden naturally supports Israel. Biden is familiar with Netanyahu and has been humiliated by him. Miller stated, “But at the same time he has a deep, deep sense of commitment to Israel.”
Second, I believe Biden recognizes that this is bad politics. He doesn’t want to be caught between the Republican party, which is hounding him for his criticism of Israel, and his own Democratic party, which is becoming increasingly divided on the issue.
Former Palestinian leadership negotiator Khaled Elgindy agreed that Biden does not have the stomach for a fight because of President Obama’s humiliating retreat in 2009 when he attempted to compel a settlement construction freeze on Netanyahu.
