Inevitably, Joe Biden Will Have to Break with Israel’s Netanyahu
As the United States prepares for a new administration under President-elect Joe Biden, one of the most pressing foreign policy challenges he will face is the relationship with Israel and its leader, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
For the past four years, the US-Israel relationship has been closely aligned under the Trump administration, with Netanyahu enjoying a close personal relationship with President Trump. However, this cozy relationship has come at a cost, as the Trump administration has taken a one-sided approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, disregarding the rights and needs of the Palestinian people.
Biden, on the other hand, has a long history of supporting a two-state solution and has been critical of Netanyahu’s policies, particularly his expansion of settlements in the West Bank. In fact, during his campaign, Biden promised to reverse Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and to restore aid to the Palestinians.
But breaking with Netanyahu will not be an easy task for Biden. The Israeli leader has been in power for over a decade and has built a strong relationship with the US, particularly with the Republican party. He has also been successful in portraying himself as the only leader who can protect Israel’s security and maintain its strong alliance with the US.
However, the reality is that Netanyahu’s policies have been damaging to both Israel and the US. His continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank has hindered the possibility of a two-state solution and has only fueled tensions in the region. Additionally, his close alignment with Trump has alienated the US from its traditional role as a mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Biden will also have to address the issue of the Iran nuclear deal, which Netanyahu has vehemently opposed. The deal, which was negotiated by the Obama administration, aimed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. However, Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, and Netanyahu has been a vocal supporter of this decision. Biden has expressed his intention to rejoin the deal, which will undoubtedly create tension between the US and Israel.
But despite these challenges, it is inevitable that Biden will have to break with Netanyahu and his policies. The US cannot continue to blindly support Israel’s actions, especially when they go against international law and harm the prospects for peace in the region. Biden has a unique opportunity to reset the US-Israel relationship and to work towards a more balanced approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This will require Biden to take a firm stance against Netanyahu’s policies and to push for a two-state solution that respects the rights and needs of both Israelis and Palestinians. It will also require him to engage in dialogue with the Palestinian leadership and to restore aid to the Palestinian people, who have been suffering under the Trump administration’s policies.
Breaking with Netanyahu will not be an easy task, but it is a necessary one for the US to regain its credibility as a mediator in the region and to work towards a lasting peace between Israel and Palestine. Biden has the opportunity to lead the way in promoting a more just and equitable approach to the conflict, and it is crucial that he takes this opportunity to do so.
