‘Enduring partnership’ When he stands before Congress next week, Benjamin Netanyahu will be betting that warning against a “dangerous” nuclear deal with Iran will be worth the toll it takes on his difficult relationship with President Barack Obama. In doing so, the Israeli prime minister risks tossing US-Israel ties into the maelstrom of Washington partisanship after decades in which the Jewish state has enjoyed broad support for what is often called an “enduring partnership.”
Iran is a sticking point
The tensions over how to deal with Iran, which both sides have done little to mask, have brought comparisons to a low point in relations in 1992, when then-President George H.W Bush tussled with Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir over Israeli colonies’ construction.
Strong defence ties
Through it all, the US remains Israel’s biggest trading partner and closest defence ally, providing $3.1 billion (Dh10 billion) in annual military assistance. Officials from both nations agree that the level of US-Israel security cooperation, including intelligence-sharing, is unprecedented. In business, two-way trade in goods between the nations has grown to $38.1 billion in 2014 from $28.3 billion in 2009, Obama’s first year in office.
The institutions are strong
“Institutionally, the relationship is stronger than it’s ever been,” said Prem Kumar, who was the White House National Security Council’s senior director for the Middle East and North Africa before joining the consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group earlier this year. “Politically, there have been some difficulties, but they’re not insurmountable,” he said.
Strained communication
Last week, Netanyahu’s National Security Adviser Yossi Cohen discussed Iran and other issues with his White House counterpart, Susan Rice. Those talks went ahead even as administration officials said the US is withholding details about the Iran negotiations because Israeli officials have leaked misleading information to undermine a deal.
The politics are divisive
Politically, it’s a different matter. The White House has made no secret of its displeasure with Netanyahu’s scheduled March 3 address to Congress at the invitation of Republican House Speaker John Boehner, and a number of Democrats plan to boycott it in a rare show of partisan discord on a matter important to Israel and its American supporters.
Collision Course
Disagreement over how to thwart what both Obama and Netanyahu regard as Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions has put the two leaders on a collision course. This is coming to a head with the possibility of a negotiated deal between Iran and six world powers, including the US, that fails to meet what Netanyahu says are Israel’s security requirements.
Security dividend
Obama’s support for measures to strengthen Israel’s security haven’t bought him much in return from Netanyahu on the two big strategic issues they jointly face: Iran and the future of the Palestinians.
Rejected deal
An earlier sign of that was Netanyahu’s rejection of a 2010 US offer of a weapons deal including Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 Joint Strike Fighters if Netanyahu would extend for 90 days a partial freeze on colonies to encourage peace talks with the Palestinians.
No White House welcome
When Netanyahu comes to Washington, Obama has ruled out granting him a White House visit, which has capped virtually all of his trips to the US as prime minister. Obama said it wouldn’t be appropriate given Israeli elections on March 17.
Ebbing support
A Gallup Poll released earlier this week found a high level of American public support for Israel, with seven of ten people having a broadly favourable view. Gallup said the dispute between the two leaders did seem to have had an impact: The percentage of US Democrats viewing Israel favourably fell to 60 per cent from 74 per cent a year ago.
Partisan points
Making the US-Israel relationship a partisan issue “could have lasting consequences,” two senior Senate Democrats wrote Netanyahu in a letter. The partisan way the speech was arranged — without consultation with the White House or congressional Democratic leaders — sacrificed “deep and well-established cooperation on Israel for short-term partisan points,” Senators Richard Durbin and Dianne Feinstein said.
A political stunt
Describing Netanyahu’s trip to Washington as a “political stunt,” Danny Ayalon, Israel’s ambassador to the US from 2002 to 2006, said the speech will do nothing to change the minds of US lawmakers on Iran. “While he’s the one who shows Israelis he’s standing up to the president of the United States, I think in the long run it’s a mistake,” Ayalon said. “Our fight is not with Obama, it’s with Iran.”
— Compiled from agencies
