As Biden takes office, Israel should refrain from aggravating tension
We don’t want Israel to be a talking point, wedge issue, or play any controversial role in the current domestic crisis taking place in the US.
By JPOST EDITORIALUS President-elect Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(photo credit: ANDREW HARNIK/YOAV DUDUKEVITCH/REUTERS)
The United States today is going through a crisis from which it will hopefully emerge on January 20 with the inauguration of Joe Biden as president and the establishment of a new administration. That administration has shown impressive attempts already to put in place a competent foreign policy team. From Jake Sullivan, who will serve as the national security adviser to William Burns as CIA director, Antony Blinken as secretary of state and Brett McGurk coordinating Middle East affairs at the National Security Council, many familiar faces from previous administrations are returning to new roles.This is an important and key point in time for Israel when it comes to its relations with the US. Washington and Jerusalem have a historically strong bond and alliance throughout all presidential administrations, some stronger and some more challenging. It’s already clear that some of the policies toward the Middle East that President Donald Trump embraced will not advance under the incoming administration.Israel is conducting its own elections in March. That means Israel will face some of its own divisive political and diplomatic issues just when the Biden administration is hitting the ground running. Biden and his team will want to lay down the broad strokes of foreign policy, including what it will do with Iran’s continued pursuit of a nuclear capability and how it will view settlement construction in the West Bank. That is why any symbolic actions by Israel that appear to run counter to the new US policy could trigger a crisis, one that neither Israel nor the US currently need.For instance, during the Obama administration, announcements that Israel was constructing new homes in the West Bank were strongly condemned. That atmosphere hurt and undermined US-Israel relations. One Israeli response can be that the US has no right to decide where Jews can live and to confront Washington on the matter. Another response would be to work with the new administration and refrain from steps that could aggravate tension, while trying to reach strategic understandings. During an Israeli election season it is plausible that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may want to act tough and show that he can confront the new administration. This would put Israel’s long-term goals at risk by giving anti-Israel voices in the US an excuse to attack Israel and work to weaken the alliance with the US.Unfortunately those anti-Israel voices have sought to increase their role. Some of them, including people like former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes, often slam Israel and particularly Netanyahu. This means Israel is constantly on the radar in a negative way. Another voice is Tommy Vietor, the NSC spokesman under Obama who tweeted on Monday night, after Netanyahu’s decision to advance settlement construction a week before the Biden inauguration, that “Netanyahu again welcomes Joe Biden with a big f**k you in the form of new settlements.”Knowing one’s adversaries and their agenda is key to maneuvering in this new reality. Since it is well known that there are those who will seek to harm Israel’s relations with the new administration, it is incumbent on Netanyahu to prioritize Israel’s relations with Washington over short term political gains. Israel wants to empower friends in the US, not harm them in the opening days of the new administration.We don’t want Israel to be a talking point, wedge issue, or play any controversial role in the current domestic crisis taking place in the US. These are uncertain and sensitive times and the appearance of even one Israeli flag at far-right protests – like last week during the Capitol riot – is unhelpful and potentially damaging. Similarly unhelpful is providing any excuse for the anti-Israel lobby to get the Biden administration off on the wrong foot with the Jewish state.Israel’s diplomatic goals for the weeks and months ahead should be to cement the new relationships forged by the Abraham Accords, make sure concerns about Iran are heard by the new US administration and further strengthen the US-Israel strategic relationship. That is how Israel can best ensure its interests during this very delicate time.
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