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Spats Between Washington and Tel Aviv Unlikely to Affect Long-Term Relations

© AP Photo / Michel EulerIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and US Vice-President Joe Biden pose for the media prior to a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, and US Vice-President Joe Biden pose for the media prior to a meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016. - Sputnik International, 1920, 13.12.2023
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While the United States was quick to rush to Israel’s aid following the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October, recent reports hint at a rift emerging between the respective US and Israeli leaderships over the ongoing bloodshed in the Gaza Strip.
US President Joe Biden criticized the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip this week, arguing that the “indiscriminate bombing” perpetrated by Israel erodes international support for Tel Aviv.
The POTUS dropped this remark at a campaign fundraising event in Washington DC, as Israel continues to openly disregard the damage it inflicts upon residential buildings and civilian infrastructure amid what Israeli officials describe as a military operation to destroy Hamas.
Such criticism, however, is unlikely to affect the long-term strategic relationship between the United States and Israel, said Lyudmila Samarskaya, a researcher from the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economics and International Relations.
She pointed out that the United States has criticized the current Israeli government on more than a single occasion, which has a lot to do with the presence of a number of “radical elements” in the Israeli leadership who assume a hard-line stance on the “Palestinian issue.”
“This can often have a destructive effect on [Israel’s] contacts with the US and with the US administration and representatives, because their views on the development of the territory and on the resolution of the [Israeli-Palestinian] conflict may differ drastically,” Samarskaya told Sputnik.
She also noted that Israel has always prioritized its own security, and that in pursuit of that goal, Tel Aviv can “sideline some other factors and some of the criticism.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the prime minister's office in Jerusalem, Israel, Sunday, July 30, 2023.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 12.12.2023
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While Israel is not thrilled with all the criticism from the United States, the US still remains Tel Aviv’s important partner and ally, and “many in Israeli society believe that the United States’ stance should be taken into account.”
“Plus, many in Israel do not agree with the policies of this [Israeli] government. It [current Israeli government] says that it represents the will of the majority, but that is not exactly true because about half of the Israeli society supports the government and the other half does not,” Samarskaya explained.
Regarding the likely response of the Israeli government to Biden’s criticism, she suggested that “some statements may be made” but at the same time Tel Aviv keeps in mind that the United States still supports them.
“So we may expect some kind of reaction, but likely not the kind that could seriously damage the relations [between the US and Israel],” Samarskaya said, noting that it is in Israel’s interests to maintain its partnership with the United States without escalating mutual criticism.
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