On December 7, 2014, the Institute for National Security Studies, in cooperation with the Knesset Caucus for Israel-U.S. Relations and the Ruderman Foundation, held a symposium on the current status of US-Israel elations.
Opening remarks were given by Oded Eran (INSS), MK Nachman Shai (Labor Party), and Shira Ruderman.
US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission William Grant said foreign policy issues will not be high on the US administration agenda in the remaining two years before the presidential elections. Issues such as combat against ISIS will be debated, but no strong disagreement between Congress and the White House is expected. We might see some disagreement concerning the negotiations with Iran, especially if Congress calls for new sanctions. Grant cited from the speech by VP Biden at the Saban Forum about the quality of the bilateral relations.
Former Minister of Defense and Minister of Foreign Affairs Moshe Arens said that there is an inherent disagreement between the two states on certain important issues such as how to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the most important issue is to deal with such differences. Arens maintained that the best way is to discuss them behind closed doors. Unfortunately, during the Obama presidency differences on settlements and Jerusalem between the two governments were aired in public. He maintained that there is no security for Israel without a presence in Judea and Samaria and therefore the rule should be that if one of the two partners views a certain issue as existential, the other side should accept it. Arens maintained that there is widespread support for Israel in the US because of the commonality of values. Arens expressed his opposition to the proposed nation-state bill and called it unnecessary.
MK Ronen Hoffman (Yesh Atid) argued that there has been a process of worsening in the bilateral relations, adding that PM Netanyahu was also to be blamed for that.
Leslie Mirchin (AIPAC, Israel) said that the new Congress could prove to be one of the friendliest to Israel, although some key Congressmen and Senators lost their seats. Mirchin mentioned that Eric Cantor (the Republican former Majority Whip) who was among those who lost) and his Democrat counterpart Steny Hoyer established a  good way to increase understanding for Israel in the House by taking freshmen congressmen to a visit in Israel, and this will continue. Mirchin added that the number Jewish Congressman fell to 19, the lowest number since 1992.
David Horowitz (Editor of the Times of Israel) emphasized that only a small part of the US Jewish community is actually engaged in Israel-related issues. Traditionally, the community votes Democrat, though there has been a slight decline in the support for President Obama.
Horowitz maintained that Israeli legislation such as the Conversion Law distances parts of the Jewish community from Israel. That may not be a serious problem today, but could develop into one in the future. On the other hand, there is already a problem among Jewish and non–Jewish students on the US campuses, with fewer students showing sympathy and understanding for Israel and Zionism.