Strategic Assessment

Since the beginning of Barack Obama’s term as president, US-Israel relations have been characterized by almost continuous periods of tension of varying levels of intensity. In itself, tension in the bilateral relations is not new and has accompanied US-Israel relations for decades. While there is mutual recognition of shared values and interests, at the same time there is a long series of issues on which the two countries disagree. Occasionally the administration chooses to blur the disputes and lower their profiles. Sometimes it chooses to highlight them. The Obama administration has generally chosen the second option, emphasizing the disputes and granting them high media prominence.