The fomenting of divisions between Israel and the US is not new; this atmosphere has been around for many years in both countries, and it is this very trend that threatens the special relationship more than anything else. The Israeli Left has long tried to set the narrative that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Democratic Party are estranged.
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Likewise, the Republicans keep trying to paint a worrying picture that the Democrats have left Israel to its own devices and therefore Jerusalem should no longer have anything to do with the Donkey Party. But it turns out facts are a stubborn thing, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's small gestures are a great example. Just before he arrived in Israel from Egypt, America's chief diplomat announced that Israel reached a critical milestone on the path toward joining the Visa Waiver Program.
The timing was hardly coincidental. He had held the information for many weeks, presumably so that he could make the announcement during his visit and thus contribute to the positive atmosphere. A no-less important gesture was his refusal to directly criticize the judicial reforms the government is currently pushing. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid has tried to make Blinken part of his team and Jewish leaders have tried to enlist the US secretary to torpedo the reforms. But, lo and behold, when he met Netanyahu on Monday he took pains not to take on the role the left-wing media and the Left (in both countries) have tried to cast him in.
The ongoing protests in Israel are just a manifestation of Israel's vibrant democracy, he said. He also noted that reforms should be passed through dialogue. That's all he said on the matter, to the dismay of the government's detractors, and of course, the cherry on top was the progress on the Visa Waiver Program. Had Netanyahu really "lost" America, as some pundits and Lapid have insisted, the administration would have suspended the efforts to have Israel join the program. But not only has the US not taken any steps in that direction, but the Biden administration has also actually gone all-in to see this process completed, as demonstrated by the conduct of US Ambassador to Israel Tom NIdes and Homeland Security Minister Alejandro Mayorkas, and many others.
No less important is the instinctive decision by President Joe Biden to call Netanyahu on Shabbat shortly after the massacre in Jerusalem. This is how a friend acts; that is not what happens if relations are in a crisis. For the US, there is only one thing that matters: that things remain calm. US officials are preoccupied with the war in Ukraine and the tension with China. They need the Middle East to be under control. They conveyed this request to Netanyahu, and he has definitely delivered. As Opposition leader, Netanyahu would continually attack the US posture toward Iran and the previous government for not being vocal enough on this matter, but as prime minister, he has made a U-turn and stressed the cooperation between the countries.
Of course, behind closed doors gaps remain and Blinken has even made note of that publicly. But the decision on both sides not to put the divisions front and center is a signal that both wish to avoid a redux of the confrontation between Jerusalem and Washington during the Obama years. For some, the bipartisan support from Washington does not fit their narrative, but it is very much alive and kicking. Everyone must do their utmost to keep it that way.
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