IIt took a long time for the Biden administration to finally take an interest in the Israeli drift. It took hundreds of thousands of Israelis in the streets, criticism from Arab countries, the unprecedented mobilization of American liberal Jews. Today, the bilateral relationship between the Democratic President and Binyamin Netanyahu, leader of a coalition deported to the far right, has reached a historic low. Washington is struggling to find the words and update its strategy. It is the reverse of an almost family proximity and the primacy given to geopolitics.
The Jewish state is on the verge of a democratic infarction. The coalition wants to scuttle the authority of the Supreme Court and evade any form of control, causing unprecedented demonstrations. This is no longer a classic conflict in a polarized country, where the right has long imposed identity issues at the heart of the debate. It is about the very future of Israel, the nature of its state, the law of men and that which is attributed to God, the transformation of the occupation in the Palestinian territories into annexation. Either existential questions.
On Sunday March 19, during a telephone interview with Mr. Netanyahu, Joe Biden recalled the importance of democratic values and the broadest possible consensus during “ fundamental changes ». The very fact that no invitation to the White House has been addressed to Mr. Netanyahu at this stage is a strong symbol, which exasperates the Likud leader. On Tuesday, March 21, in an exceptional gesture, Assistant Secretary of State Wendy Sherman summoned the Israeli ambassador to Washington, after the Knesset revised a 2005 law that had organized the withdrawal of settlers from four settlements. in the northern West Bank.
Without enthusiasm
But behind these messages, a form of conservatism dominates on the American side. Beyond the shared values, Israel remains the closest, most reliable and essential American ally in the Middle East. Especially since the Iranian nuclear program is advancing, Saudi Arabia is moving away from Washington and China and Russia are actively promoting their interests. This priority explains a form of discrepancy between the polite tone of American officials and the intensity of the crisis. How many times can we say “very concerned” ?
In a statement released in late December 2022, Mr. Biden was still looking forward to working with Mr. Netanyahu, her “friend for decades”. In search of immunity from judicial investigations, the latter has become the willing hostage of the religious and nationalist far right, as well as the ultra-Orthodox. This unprecedented context arouses an emotion at the height of the moment within the liberal Jewish communities in the United States. Loving Israel does not mean keeping silent about its excesses, out of a kind of barracks loyalty.
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