“Israeli” Thinktank: Internal “Israeli” Politics Could Harm US Ties
By Staff, Agencies
The annual report by the Institute for National Security Studies [INSS] which was presented to the “Israeli” entity’s President Isaac Herzog on Monday cautioned that if the relations with the US were not properly managed, the security of the "Israeli" entity could be harmed.
“In the geo-strategic realm, we identified the special relationship with the US as the greatest challenge before the decision-makers,” INSS Managing Director Tamir Hayman said. “Any harm to [the relationship] will immediately impact ‘Israel’s’ ability to handle all of the other arenas.”
The report generally headlines what it called “threats” from Iran, Hezbollah or from the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians.
The report for 2023 warned that relations with the US, if not managed properly, could deteriorate to such a point in the future that it could negatively impact critical “national security” interests for the “Israeli” entity, such as with Iran and the Palestinians.
According to the INSS, there are multiple negative headwinds which the “Israeli” entity will need to cope with in its relations with Washington going forward that could alter what has been bipartisan support for the entity for decades.
The report cautioned that if the “Israeli” entity is viewed by the US as moving more toward authoritarianism by virtue of the current proposed judicial overhaul, which could lead to reducing “Israeli” minority rights and harming Palestinian interests, this could permanently alienate many Americans who have supported Tel Aviv in the past.
“The danger to ‘Israel’s’ internal resilience derives from the possibility of the ‘Israeli’ government changing its policy in the legal realm, regarding liberal norms and internal security policies,” the report said.
The report said that Tel Aviv could already see its traditional “discount” reduced. This in turn could start “endangering” American support across-the-board, which has traditionally included arms and military aid, intelligence sharing, general economic support and diplomatic support, including at the UN, it said.
Partially, this is because the potential problems between the US and the “Israeli” entity go far beyond internal “Israeli” debates over the entity’s separation of powers, said the report.
“Increasing polarization and extremism from the two far ends of the political spectrum in the US are eroding the base of political support for ‘Israel’,” it said. “The younger generation progressive camp’s seizing a position which rejects the legitimacy of ‘Israel’ and Zionism, which in its conception is the supreme example of neo-colonialism, alongside the growth of antisemitism and racism, reduce the legitimacy and standing from which ‘Israel’ has benefited for many years.”
This means that both in the Democratic and Republican parties, anti-“Israel” or antisemitic groups that were once relegated to the extreme wings with little actual influence are getting larger voices, according to the report.
Some Democrats are viewing the “Israeli” entity in neo-colonialist terms, it said. This means that everything starts from a more negative vantage point. At the same time, some Republicans are suspicious of non-Christian Americans and of using up US money and military power to assist overseas allies, including the “Israeli” entity.
In addition, the report said that both parties, on different levels, are turned off by how close the entity’s relations have been sometimes with China and Russia, including in sharing advanced technologies.
If the entity is perceived as allying itself with authoritarian rivals of the US, while reducing judicial democratic checks and balances to protect minorities and Palestinians, there could be a “perfect storm” that could radically alter American feelings about the “Israel”.
