In the most important traditional presidential address, the State of the Union, Joe Biden emphasized that Israel has the right to defend itself, but he also spoke directly to the Jewish state’s leaders, saying that “humanitarian aid (for the Gaza Strip) cannot be provided .” secondary edition or card tender” – notes the prestigious British think tank, Chatham House.

On Thursday, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the US Senate who is the first Jew in history to become Democratic majority leader in the upper house of Congress, called for elections in Israel because Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost his way. ” He stressed that Israel must make a “significant course correction” to achieve lasting peace in its conflict with the Palestinians, and that rejecting a two-state solution was a very serious mistake. He added that Netanyahu had become an obstacle to peace, and the humanitarian crisis was escalating in the Strip Gaza.

On Friday, Biden praised his speech: “I think he expressed important concerns, not just his own concerns, but the concerns of many Americans.” The AFP agency, citing the president, estimated that the distance between the US government and Netanyahu’s government “continues to grow”.

Also on Friday, Foreign Affaires magazine wrote that the end of Netanyahu’s rule was approaching, and the website Axios concluded that there had been a shake-up in US-Israel relations. Another site, Punchbowl News, said it was an extraordinary moment as the controversy over Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip and Netanyahu’s actions “permanently changed the Democratic Party’s relationship with one of America’s closest allies.”

Immediately after Schumer’s speech, angry Republicans reacted. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called the senator’s remarks “appalling.” In Israel, the Knesset speaker said the Senate Democratic leader’s position was a “violation of the mutual respect that should define relations” between the two countries.

As the “FA” reminds us, there has long been a “popular view in the US that there is no (political) benefit from taking a tough stance on Israel, but it carries great risks.”

Especially because for some American evangelicals, close ties to Israel are a religious requirement

But the issue of relations with the Jewish state is “no longer so simple”, the American magazine said. According to an Associated Press poll, at the end of January, half of Americans believed that Israel had “gone too far” in its attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Moreover, Netanyahu not only rejected plans for the creation of a Palestinian state pushed by Washington, but also ignored calls to protect the Palestinian civilian population and clearly ignored envoys of subsequent US administrations.

A new divide has emerged on the American political scene, with the policies of the Netanyahu government – ​​the most right-wing government in the country’s history – supported by Republicans, and most Democrats highly critical of them.

Anger over Netanyahu’s behavior, which ignored the US government’s calls, is so great among some American voters that it could influence assessments of Biden and the outcome of the presidential election, experts say. “Biden has not shown any desire to apply significant pressure on Israel, but there are signs of his growing frustration with the Israeli prime minister,” explained “FA.” However, if the president decides to publicly and openly distance himself from Netanyahu, “he should make it clear that his rebuke is directed at Israel’s right-wing government,” and not at the nation itself, the magazine recommended.

Chatham House points out that the Biden administration has signaled that it is willing to support Netanyahu’s political rival: a member of Israel’s war cabinet, Minister Benny Ganc, was invited to visit the US, and was met by Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin .

During his more than 16 years in power, Israel’s government leaders have always had better relations with American Republicans than with Democrats, Punchbowl News recalled. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has never been shy about showing his preferences for American policy,” said Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Another senator, Democrat Bernie Sanders, quoted by Axios, believes that the Democratic leader in the Senate has reason to cause a shake-up in Israeli-American relations: “We give $3.5 billion a year to Israel, so this is a very big deal.” “It’s important for the American people and Senator Schumer has an absolute right to speak on this,” said Sanders (PAP)

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