Il chaos interior generated by the hotly contested justice reform promoted by the Israeli far-right government also shows some cracks in the historic privileged relationship between Tel Aviv e Washington. While the Israeli streets demonstrated asking for a halt to the measure and the far right, however, pressed the prime minister by threatening to withdraw support for the government, the American administration also launched its message to the main Middle Eastern allies: “We cannot continue on this path”. On Wednesday morning, however, the premier’s decisive response arrived Benjamin Netanyahu: “Israel is a sovereign country that makes decisions by the will of the people and not on the basis of pressure from abroadincluding those of the best friends“.
The new friction between the two executives does nothing but underline the change of course in bilateral relations which occurred with the handover to the White House between Donald Trump e Joe Biden. After a period of difficulty from Tel Aviv, due to the greater equidistance desired by Barack Obama in relations with him Jewish state and with the Islamic Republic of Iranwith the tycoon there was a return to an American strategy once again crushed on the Israeli positions, with the support also of theSaudi Arabiawith the aim of repelling Teheran in the isolation that had characterized the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. From that approach were born the breaking of thenuclear deal of Tehran, i Abraham Accordsthe decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem and many other measures following the same trend. Trend that has precisely known a stop when in the Oval Office Joe Biden has arrived, with Washington which, at least in official statements, has returned to issuing warnings to Tel Aviv regarding the most radical and controversial actions, since the killing of the al-Jazeera Shireen Abu Akleha Jenin last May, right up to this new bill which effectively limits the judicial power of the Israeli courts, subjecting it in part to the political one.
“Like many strong supporters of Israel – Biden said quoted by the media – i am very worried. It is hoped that the prime minister will act in a way that tries to find a real compromise but that remains to be seen”. Then, the head of the US administration also ruled out that “in the short term” there could be a visit by the prime minister of Israel to the United States. Both, however, have also tried to prevent the question and answer from generating an escalation in diplomatic relations that would have damaged both executives. It was Netanyahu himself, in a note released by his office, who recalled that relations with the American president have been going on “for over 40 years and I appreciate his long-standing commitment to Israel”. The alliance with the US, he continued, “is indissoluble and always exceeds i occasional disagreements between us. My administration is committed to strengthening democracy by restoring the right balance between the three branches of government. Balance that we are trying to achieve through a broad consensus”. Similarly, Biden speaking from the airport of Morrisville (North Carolina) had ruled out wanting to somehow “interfere” in Israel’s internal affairs: “We don’t want to interfere. We are not interfering. They know my position and that of America. They know the position of US Jewry”.