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Biden-Netanyahu disagreement will not change policies

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03 Apr 2023 04:04:47 GMT9
03 Apr 2023 04:04:47 GMT9

In all parts of the globe, including the Middle East, observers closely follow the verbal exchanges between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and attempt to speculate on the repercussions of their dispute.

The relationship between these two leaders has been strained over several issues, such as the approach to Iran’s nuclear program and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, most recently, the tensions have focused on a different issue that Israel considers an internal affair.

The White House is troubled by Netanyahu’s plan to reshape the Israeli judicial system, which would give the government greater control over appointments to the Supreme Court. Therefore, the US administration tried to distance itself from the right-wing parties supporting the Israeli prime minister.

Last week, Biden told reporters in North Carolina that the Israeli government “cannot continue down this road,” stressing that Netanyahu would not get a White House invitation in the “near term.” The Israeli PM fired back in a series of tweets, saying: “Israel is a sovereign country which makes its decisions by the will of its people and not based on pressures from abroad, including from the best of friends.”

But then he softened the intensity of his language when he said he had known President Biden for more than 40 years and expressed his appreciation of Biden’s long-standing commitment to Israel.

“The alliance between Israel and the United States is unbreakable and always overcomes the occasional disagreements between us,” he wrote.

The latter post carried a message that Netanyahu wanted to stress globally: that no issue would come between them. The relationship between the US and Israel has been a crucial alliance for several decades. Despite the recent issues, their ties are expected to remain strong.

The two countries have built their alliance based on a long-standing partnership, which has led to successful cooperation in various areas, such as intelligence sharing, military aid and economic development.

Disagreements and policy differences are common between any two leaders or countries and should not necessarily reflect personal animosity.

Dalia Al-Aqidi

Throughout his political career, Biden has been firmly committed to the US-Israeli alliance. During his presidential campaign, he promised to strengthen the relationship between the US and Israel, including expanding trade and investment and promoting cooperation in technology, energy and other fields.

Nevertheless, the relationship between the two allies has faced challenges before. During Barack Obama’s presidency, there were tensions between the two countries over the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal with Iran. This disagreement continued to the next Democratic president.

Biden clearly signaled his intention to reengage in diplomacy with Iran and rejoin the nuclear deal, which Netanyahu had been a vocal opponent of, arguing that it did not go far enough in preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. There have also been disagreements over the US Embassy’s relocation to Jerusalem, which Netanyahu supported and Biden has been critical of in the past.

While the US and Israel have a shared interest in promoting peace and stability in the region, the two parties do not agree on the right approach to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

But despite these disagreements, they have managed to maintain a strong partnership and the US continues to provide Israel with significant military and economic support.

In conclusion, the relationship between the US and Israel remains as strong as before. The two allies will continue to share a stated deep commitment to democratic values, strategic interests and a vision for advancing peace and prosperity in the Middle East.

Disagreements and policy differences are common between any two leaders or countries and should not necessarily reflect personal animosity. While there may be disagreements and challenges ahead, the partnership between these close allies is grounded in a long history of cooperation and shared interests.

That said, after two years of floundering foreign policy, the Biden administration has lost important historical allies in the region. If it continues its policies for another term, America will have no partners in the area other than Israel.

  • Dalia Al-Aqidi is a senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy. Twitter: @DaliaAlAqidi
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