Immediately after Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement about the suspension of the legislation on the judicial overhaul in order to allow dialogue, the White House hastened to welcome the news and emphasized that its position all along was that the Israeli leadership must “find a compromise as soon as possible.” But in response to a question (March 28), President Biden stated that “like many strong supporters of Israel, I am very concerned…They cannot continue on this road. And I’ve sort of made that clear. Hopefully the Prime Minister will act in a way where he will try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen.” He also said, “They know my position. They know America’s position. They know the American Jewish position.” Biden emphasized that he has no intention of inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House “in the near term.”
Biden's remarks further illustrate the President's deep suspicion of Prime Minister Netanyahu's intentions and the caution he intends to exercise to prevent the administration from embarrassment if the dialogue fails. Furthermore, if so far the crises between Israel and the US have resulted from a lack of agreement on the required policy, at the present time, the rift, as reflected by Biden – who considers himself a true friend of Israel – stems from the President's understanding that the shared values on which the special relations between the two countries are built are in real danger.
Defiant Israeli reactions calling on the administration not to interfere in Israel's internal affairs are contrary to Israeli interests and have the potential to contribute directly to a deepening of the crisis. It is already expected to be difficult for the two countries to conduct the strategic discourse that is particularly important at the present time, especially in the wake of the many challenges facing Israel, with an emphasis on Iran. The risk to Israel's position in the US and in the international arena is real, especially if the dialogue framework collapses, and the possible consequences for Israel's national security could be dramatic. When taking decisions regarding the next steps, the Israeli government must take into account, beyond internal matters, the future implications for the relations with the US.
Immediately after Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement about the suspension of the legislation on the judicial overhaul in order to allow dialogue, the White House hastened to welcome the news and emphasized that its position all along was that the Israeli leadership must “find a compromise as soon as possible.” But in response to a question (March 28), President Biden stated that “like many strong supporters of Israel, I am very concerned…They cannot continue on this road. And I’ve sort of made that clear. Hopefully the Prime Minister will act in a way where he will try to work out some genuine compromise. But that remains to be seen.” He also said, “They know my position. They know America’s position. They know the American Jewish position.” Biden emphasized that he has no intention of inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House “in the near term.”
Biden's remarks further illustrate the President's deep suspicion of Prime Minister Netanyahu's intentions and the caution he intends to exercise to prevent the administration from embarrassment if the dialogue fails. Furthermore, if so far the crises between Israel and the US have resulted from a lack of agreement on the required policy, at the present time, the rift, as reflected by Biden – who considers himself a true friend of Israel – stems from the President's understanding that the shared values on which the special relations between the two countries are built are in real danger.
Defiant Israeli reactions calling on the administration not to interfere in Israel's internal affairs are contrary to Israeli interests and have the potential to contribute directly to a deepening of the crisis. It is already expected to be difficult for the two countries to conduct the strategic discourse that is particularly important at the present time, especially in the wake of the many challenges facing Israel, with an emphasis on Iran. The risk to Israel's position in the US and in the international arena is real, especially if the dialogue framework collapses, and the possible consequences for Israel's national security could be dramatic. When taking decisions regarding the next steps, the Israeli government must take into account, beyond internal matters, the future implications for the relations with the US.