The tension between Israel and the US under President Joe Biden is partly due to the way in which the two countries are perceived in light of the coronavirus crisis.
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There has been tension between Israel and the US since the new administration took office in Washington, but that doesn't bother anyone. In the past, a situation like this of mutual alienation between the governments of Israel and the US at the start of a new presidential term would horrify various wings of Israeli politics. Not this time.
Israel is demonstrating self-confidence and sending clear messages in practical ways. It started with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi declaring that the IDF was working on operational plans to handle Iran's nuclear program. A week ago, the Jewish Chronicle, a newspaper some people had forgotten even existed, reported a few revelations about the targeted killing of the former head of Iran's nuclear research program, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. It sent one message: Israel can bring a one-ton bomb anywhere it wants to get the results it needs. Aside from that, former head of the National Security Council Jacob Nagel told the paper that Fakhrizadeh had been working on five nuclear warheads.
It's very likely that it's easier to operate an echo chamber of diplomatic correspondents talking about the long history that the successors of Obama have with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than it is to hold a real, direct conversation between Biden and Netanyahu.
"We cannot be partners to the process the current administration is leading if the administration returns to the Iran nuclear deal in its original format," Israeli Ambassador to the US Gilad Erdan said. "We think that if the US goes back to the same deal it already left, all leverage will be lost."
Speaking to Army Radio, Erdan went on to explain in detail the combination of increased economic pressure and a credible military threat. We can assume that Biden doesn't want to hear megaton messages like these from Netanyahu himself. Moreover, Netanyahu wouldn't pall at explaining slowly and clearly to Biden that recently – in other words, since the administration took office – stability in the Middle East has been challenged. The Houthis in Yemen have gotten a shot of encouragement and they are stepping up their war; and over the Israeli border there is increase activity that has potential to slide into open clashes. In Iraq, a base where American soldiers park was suddenly targeted by a barrage of rockets.
The general message is that Israel has no interest in reaching out to the US about the Iranian nuclear issue. This was also the response by some other members of the international community to the new policy that Biden is trying to project. Biden was favorably impressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, with whom he spoke on the phone for two hours. He has spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin, too. The way Israel and the US are treating each other reflects a certain change in the balance of power. Israel will come out of COVID in a strong international position; it is seen as a leading nation when it comes to medicine, a country from which others can learn. The US is seen as a country controlled by a very arrogant elite, with a baseless sense of moral superiority. How can we put it gently: there's not a lot we can learn from them.
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