As US Elections Loom, U.S. Administration’s Hostility Toward Israel Grows

As US elections loom, U.S. administration’s hostility toward Israel grows

Israel Kasnett

The Biden administration appears to be acting with increased hostility toward Israel, having reversed the “Pompeo Doctrine,” sanctioned settlers and a company that manufactures parts for Israel’s Iron Dome system, and switched to harsher language with regard to calling for a ceasefire.

“There is a fundamental disconnect between the policy fantasy land in Washington and the reality of life in Israel after Oct. 7, Richard Goldberg, a senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told JNS.

Despite what the US administration may believe, “There is no path to peace without Israel destroying all remaining Hamas command and control in Gaza, massive reforms to the Palestinian Authority, dismantling UNRWA [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency] and excluding Hamas patrons like Qatar from any involvement,” Goldberg said.

Complicating matters, US presidential elections will take place in November, and the Biden administration is worried its support for Israel is causing it to lose crucial votes. Terrified of losing Michigan and other states with sizable numbers of Muslims, US President Joe Biden appears to be willing to endanger Israel to gain the support of a voting bloc in which Jew hatred is prevalent.

“I think we’re witnessing a moment of opportunism where left-wing ideologues inside the White House are using the pretext of a political problem in Michigan and the prospect of Saudi-Israel normalization to ram through all the bad policy ideas that have been rejected for years,” said Goldberg. “The polling in Michigan doesn’t justify a need for Biden to attack Israel, and Riyadh cares a lot more about US defense and nuclear energy commitments than a two-state solution.”

While it is true that the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, White House officials have expressed opposition to an Israeli ground attack in Rafah and the Biden administration is pressing a two-state solution, a notion most Israelis currently reject. Israel’s Knesset confirmed this when it opposed unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at the time, “The Knesset united with a huge majority against the attempt to dictate to us the establishment of a Palestinian state. The vote sends a clear message to the international community—unilateral recognition will not bring peace closer but will push it further away.”

The citizens of Israel and their Knesset representatives are more united today than ever before, said Netanyahu.

“We voted with a huge majority against a move that will endanger Israel and the achievement of peace before we achieve a complete victory against Hamas,” he added.

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