Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies warns that special relations between the US and Israel are at risk, because of the Israeli government’s judiciary reform plan and its policies towards the Palestinians and the increasing isolation between American Jews and Tel Aviv.
Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies proposed 3 recommendations to reform those relations.
Currently, the special Israeli-US relations are in danger, especially given the widening gaps in the perception of democracy, Israeli policy on the Palestinian issue, and the growing isolation between the American Jewish community and the state of Israel.
This warning taking place as the Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, insistence to pass bills for what it considers judicial reforms and Washington doesn’t hide its opposition to the lack of an Israeli consensus on legislation.
The Israeli government believes that this plan will restore a lost balance for years between the judicial, legislative and executive powers, while the opposition says that it will enable the government to control the judiciary and turn Israel into a dictatorship.
The Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies stressed that without shared values, there are no common interests between Israel and the United States, nor special relations, and for the first time in the history of relations between the two countries, the United States is concerned that Israel will no longer be a democratic country.
The special relations with the United States illustrate the difference between Israel as a regional power and Israel as a small country with limited capabilities.
The strong opposition of US President Joe Biden’s administration to both judicial reform and Israeli policy in the West Bank.
Despite the continuous popular protests for the 28th week against the bills of the Judiciary Reform plan, efforts are continuing to pass them by the government that took power on December 29, and described as the most extreme right-wing government in the history of Israel.
On more than one occasion, Washington affirmed its adherence to the two-state solution (Palestinian and Israeli), and its rejection of Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territories, including settlement construction and the demolition and seizure of Palestinian homes.
On the American domestic political front, Democratic voters support the Palestinians more and support Israel less.
The United States is also frustrated with Israel’s position on China and its policies regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Israel maintains good cooperation and relations with China, the strategic rival of the United States, and to this day refuses to provide Ukraine, which backed by the West, with military equipment in its ongoing war with Russia since February 24, 2022.
Concerning American Jews, the institute warned that they are moving away from Israel.
Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies presented 3 recommendations to the Israeli government to fix the situation with the US administration, namely:
- Stop unilateral legislation (amending the judiciary).
- Move forward based on a broad national agreement; refrain from unilateral steps that change the status quo on the ground (Palestinians).
- Advance a preemptive Israeli initiative on The Palestinian front.
Since April 2014, peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides have stalled, for reasons including Tel Aviv’s adherence to continued settlement and its disavowal of the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the principle of the two-state solution.
