Thomas Friedman: US to reassess relationship with Israel

Israel National News

In an opinion column on Wednesday, New York Times senior commentator Thomas Friedman attacked the Netanyahu government and said that he believes the United States must reassess its relationship with Israel.

According to him, during the upcoming meeting between American President Joe Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog, the former will tell the latter that “when the interests and values of a US government and an Israeli government diverge this much, a reassessment of the relationship is inevitable.”

Friedman clarified that the reassessment would not affect the military and intelligence cooperation between the two but would only reassess the continued support for Israel in international organizations.

“Such a reassessment based on US interests and values would be some tough love for Israel but a real necessity before it truly does go off the rails,” Friedman wrote. “That Biden is prepared to get in Netanyahu’s face before America’s 2024 election suggests that our president believes he has the support not only of most Americans for this but of most American Jews and even most Israeli Jews. He is right on all three counts.

Earlier in the column, Friedman called out the government’s activities in Judea and Samaria and said that the government’s makeup and actions put an end to the “shared fiction that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank was only temporary and one day there could be a two-state solution with the 2.9 million Palestinians there.”

He also claimed, “There is a sense of shock today among US diplomats who’ve been dealing with Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and a man of considerable smarts and political talent. They just find it hard to believe that Bibi would allow himself to be led around by the nose by people like Ben-Gvir, would be ready to risk Israel’s relations with America and with global investors, and WOULD BE READY TO RISK A CIVIL WAR IN ISRAEL just to stay in power with a group of ciphers and ultranationalists.”

According to Friedman, because of the aid the US provides to the Jewish state, its lawmakers can not tell the American President not to meddle in domestic policy: “According to a 2020 Congressional Research Service report, Israel has received the most US foreign assistance of any country in the world since World War II, at $146 billion, not adjusted for inflation. That’s quite an allowance and one that might have merited a little more respect for the US president from Ben-Gvir, who in his youth was convicted of inciting racism against Arabs.”

Oded Revivi, Mayor of Efrat and former Head of the Foreign Relations Department of the Yesha Council, who was involved in the White House’s Deal of the Century, responded to Thomas Friedman’s column.

Revivi explains that when the internal crisis surrounding Israel’s legal reform began, the United States adopted a cautious approach. “Secretary of State Blinken called for consensus building, Ambassador Nides emphasized the need for agreements, and President Biden urged finding a compromise. It was evident that while they were not supportive of the reform, the administration avoided taking a direct stance,” says Revivi.

Revivi continues, “Those who listened to President Biden or read Tom Friedman’s article cannot ignore the fact that their concerns lie not solely with the reform, but with the situation in Judea and Samaria. They perceive the reform as a tool that may hinder the prosecution of ‘Jewish rioters’ and erase incidents like Huwara. The fire that ignited in Huwara compromised American neutrality regarding the reform.”

Revivi also points out, “Over the years, shared values and interests have served as a common anchor between the US and Israel. However, since the Obama administration, these shared interests have diminished. Now, the Americans argue that the issue lies with the violent behavior of Jewish rioters against Palestinians. Irresponsible statements by ministers also tarnish the shared values we once had. Some of us foresaw this harm in real-time. To regain neutrality in the White House regarding Israel’s internal affairs, we must once again demonstrate that the settlement enterprise is nonviolent, does not seek to harm anyone, and can contribute to the growth and well-being of both Palestinians and Israelis.”

The fact that the Israeli press is jumping on the opportunity to quote his articles to harm the government without stating Friedman’s years-long animosity is an unprofessional fever dream. Even if there is tension between Washington and Jerusalem, the pact between the nations is very strong and invulnerable. The relation is based on the American public’s ubiquitous support, and these doomsday prophecies won’t come true.”