For the past two weeks, the Israeli political echelon has been working to prevent a major crisis with American supporters of Israel, following severe criticism by senior officials of Jerusalem's reluctant policy on the Ukraine war, which Israel Hayom learned, has even reached Republican lawmakers known for their support of the Jewish state.
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Among them is Lindsey Graham, a veteran supporter of Israel and only congressman who openly criticized Jerusalem's almost neutral stance on Russia's aggression. Many also objected to Israel's policy behind closed doors, due to the country's refusal to join sanctions against Russia, a move they view as conciliating with its aggression.
Israel was also rebuked by Senator Ted Cruz, Minority Leader of the US House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, and others. The criticism was leveled at Jerusalem in closed-door talks between senators, congressmen, and advisers as well as pro-Israel elements operating at Capitol Hill.
Israeli officials held a number of talks with senior members of Congress and the Senate in an effort to mediate the conflict and prevent it from being publicized. Israel Hayom learned that one such conversation lasted about an hour.
During these talks, the Israeli officials explained the considerations that led Israel to take a more reserved stance on the war, stressed the importance of Israel's freedom of action in Syria, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's efforts to mediate between Kyiv and Moscow, and the fact that Israel has no sanction laws.
A senior adviser in Washington told Israel Hayom that the explanations led to a greater understanding of Jerusalem's position and prevented the criticism from getting out. Nevertheless, he said, according to Washington officials, there remain significant gaps between the way the war is perceived in the US and the way it is viewed in Israel. These gaps contribute to profound differences in the US and Israel's reactions to Russia.
A pro-Israeli congressman told Israel Hayom, "the feeling in the US is that the third world war has broken out, that the most horrible thing has happened, and that [Russian President Vladimir Putin] is almost a Nazi."
He stressed that the feeling prevailed across the entire US political spectrum. "In such an unprecedented state of emergency, both parties expected Israel, as well as other US allies, to take an unequivocal stance on Russia. The same senior officials do not understand how it is possible that Israel is not unequivocally adopting the West's policy, including imposing sanctions."
Another US source said that Congress now understands Israel's position, and therefore, there is no public criticism. And yet, "Even though they understand, they don't understand. An uncomfortable feeling prevails given Israel's approach at such a dramatic time in history," he said.
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