"Foreign Affairs" about the end of US-Israel love. Time to normalize relationships?

Andrew Miller, in abroad Affairs, warns that the US-Israel relation model to date is untenable and harms all parties to the conflict.

Andrew Miller has been engaged in mediate East politics for years; he served as an crucial Egyptian authoritative for the presidency of Barack Obama and Israel for the presidency of Joe Biden.

The author recalls that since the 1990s the United States has been providing Israel with exceptional support – political, military and diplomatic – which has been unique in relations with no another country. The alleged "exceptional coverage" means, among another things, the deficiency of real conditions attached to military aid, the regular blocking of critical resolutions in the UN and the tolerability of Israeli engagement in American interior policy.

According to Miller, this policy created an highly risky situation on both sides. Israel, with the certainty of unlimited support from Washington, adopted increasingly risky strategies—from expanding settlements in the West Bank to military activities throughout the region. The United States, identified with Israeli decisions, is costing them, losing its global position and charging their own forces in another regions.

The war in Gaza after the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, as Miller writes, exposed the weakness of the American influence on Israeli actions. Biden, and later Trump, despite trying to exert pressure, de facto accepted the Israeli strategy most of the time, which translated into mass civilian casualties, famine and demolition of infrastructure in Gaza. The author emphasizes that American humanitarian aid was only effective if it was linked to symbolic conditions.

Miller points out that the balance of war and exceptional relations is besides unfavourable for Israel: the country is increasingly isolated, susceptible to Iran's atomic progress, and social support for Israel in the US – especially among young people – is rapidly falling. interior threats are besides increasing, including the crisis of democracy and the hazard of a fresh intifada.

The author argues that Washington must decision distant from the model of unconditional support and decision on to a "normal" relationship, as it applies to another allies. specified a model should include clear expectations, enforcement of US and global law, the anticipation of making aid conditional on compliance with US objectives and the prohibition of interference in the interior policies of the another country.

According to Miller, normalisation of relations can improve the chances of stopping the Israeli annexation of the West Bank, facilitate joint action towards Iran and make the conditions for rebuilding the Palestinian administration. In his opinion, continuing with the current model threatens to lose US influence, Israel's isolation and the eventual collapse of Palestinian society.

Source: abroad Affairs

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