Avi Mayer
Jerusalem Post, July 14, 2023
“Contrary to what certain pundits might say, never once did any of my interlocutors indicate that America is anywhere near “reassessing” its ties with Israel. Much to the contrary: they suggested that the best days of the relationship between the two countries are still ahead of us.”
I am writing these words while flying back to Israel from a brief visit to Washington, DC. It is oppressively hot and unbearably humid in DC at this time of year, but as I strolled through Capitol Hill earlier this week, the white sandstone of the US Capitol glistened against picture-perfect blue skies and the National Mall was a beautifully verdant green. It was the stuff of postcards and I walked around with the West Wing theme music playing in my head.
I spent several days meeting with congressional leaders, both Democrats and Republicans, and administration officials, as well as with groups that study and seek to shape US policy vis-à-vis Israel. Having spent quite a few years living, studying, and working in and around Washington, I am familiar with the way in which Israel has traditionally been discussed in the city. But as an observer of US politics and of the US-Israel relationship in recent years, I had braced myself for ominous talk of a growing partisan divide over Israel, of increased skepticism over defense aid and other forms of support for the Jewish state, of extremists hijacking the conversation and driving policy in troubling directions.
Surprisingly, and happily, that’s not what I heard. While there was general acknowledgement that there are voices on the margins of both parties trying to tug the US away from Israel, virtually all of my interlocutors on both sides of the aisle emphasized that those voices remain firmly on the margins and that Israel remains an area of broad bipartisan agreement – one of very few in America today.
Even when pushed on differences between the sitting American and Israeli governments, the impact of the judicial reform legislation and the ongoing protests surrounding it, differing approaches to the Iranian nuclear issue, and other areas of current or potential friction, they stood firm: the state of the US-Israel relationship remains strong, they said, and it is only going from strength to strength. … [To read the full article, click here]
