Wednesday Briefing: U.S.-Israel Divisions Grow

President Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Tel Aviv in October.Credit…Kenny Holston/The New York Times

Domestic politics deepen U.S.-Israel divide

Relations between the U.S. and Israel appear to have sunk to a new low after the U.S. abstained from a U.N. vote that allowed a Gaza cease-fire resolution to pass — and domestic politics in both countries are adding to the division.

In the U.S., President Biden is facing outrage from supporters and global allies about the toll of civilian deaths in the war, and Israel’s seeming reluctance to allow enough aid into Gaza. At the same time, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his former ambassador to Israel have amplified policy proposals embraced by Israel’s far-right wing, which call for the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza and the annexation of the West Bank by Israel.

In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing sharp criticism from his far-right coalition partners over any indication that he is hesitating in the war against Hamas or in the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu and his far-right partners have made increasingly bellicose remarks against the Biden administration. In a recent interview, the national security minister accused Biden of tacitly supporting Israel’s enemies.

Even as the Biden-Netanyahu rift grows, Israel’s defense minister yesterday tried to shore up U.S. support during a second day of meetings with top Biden administration officials in Washington.The Israeli military yesterday pressed on with its bombardment of Gaza, saying its fighter jets had struck “over 60 targets.”