No one expected US President Joe Biden to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor, whose administration constituted a deviation from America's traditional approach to Israeli-Arab relations.
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Nevertheless, one would have expected Biden, who is ardent to break away from Donald Trump's legacy in every way possible, to at least tread cautiously in the international arena.
Instead, even before he has reached 100 days in office, it is clear that Biden wants to make a political U-turn in his regional policy, which will have an immediate and significant impact on Israel and the US' relationship with its ally.
The White House has already taken several steps that could potentially erode the security network that until now protected the Israeli-US relationship, even at times of disagreement, especially when it came to the Palestinians.
First and foremost, it removed the sanctions the Trump administration imposed on the International Criminal Court, only a few weeks after it launched a formal investigation into Israeli "war crimes" allegedly committed during Operation Protective Edge and in Judea and Samaria.
Although the move does not in itself support the Palestinian accusations that led to the launch of the ICC investigation, its timing indicates that the new administration is determined to renounce the stick altogether, and only use the carrot when it comes to international organizations that consistently oppose Israel.
This is especially evident in light of the administration's decision to renew the financial support to the Palestinian Authority, which ceased when Trump was in office.
Things are no different when it comes to Iran, for the Biden administration is making haste to resume dialogue with the regime and return to the nuclear deal as soon as possible.
It gradually loosens the sanctions on Tehran, although, at least for now, it seems there are no signs of flexibility and moderation on the regime's behalf.
And so, all the original members of the JCPOA are scheduled to meet again in Vienna in two days, which might become the fertile ground for close talks between Washington and Tehran, perhaps even direct (although unofficial) contact between their representatives.
Turns out, the White House is eager to revive the traditional diplomatic approach to negotiating with Iran, which comes at the expense of powerful tools like deterrence and sanctions.
What we are witnessing is the contemporary example of the "tyranny of the weak" paradox. This means that the vulnerable party, the Iranian regime, is the one who is determining the rules of the game.
The US is headed to Vienna on what they perceive is a mission of reconciliation and goodwill, but what it is actually doing is projecting weakness, appeasing the Iranian evil, all the while giving Israel, its only ally in the Middle East, a cold shoulder.
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