Is the U.S. Stabbing Israel in the Back?

Mike Doran and Gadi Taub discuss the crisis in relations between Washington and Jerusalem

March 28, 2024

The crisis in relations between Washington and Jerusalem intensified this week, when the Biden administration refrained from vetoing the United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Although mainstream Israeli columnists, habitual critics of Prime Minister Netanyahu, reflexively blame him for the crisis, it is increasingly clear that the Biden administration opposes the military strategy in Gaza that most Israelis support. Gadi and Mike discuss the contradictory implications of the American policy. On the one hand, the crisis with Washington unites the country behind Netanyahu, but, on the other, it exacerbates domestic political controversies, such as the disagreements over a proposed law to draft ultra-Orthodox men into the military. As Netanyahu navigates these treacherous crosscurrents, he faces what is perhaps the most perilous moment in his long career.