Blinken’s pick shows Israel little will change under Biden

Blinken’s pick shows Israel little will change under Biden

Right-wing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nothing to worry about, as the man who will handle US foreign policy during Joe Biden’s presidency is a loyal friend of Israel. Crisis averted.
President-elect Biden’s nomination of Antony Blinken as his secretary of state was a masterstroke, according to Biden’s campaign. Blinken is a State Department veteran, a firm believer in a US-led Western alliance, and a true friend of Israel. The immediate message that Biden wanted to communicate through this particular selection, and also the appointment of Jake Sullivan as the next US national security adviser, is that the US will return to its predetermined position as a global leader and it will move away from that of Donald Trump ”. America First ”foreign policy agenda.
While Europeans are excited to have their American benefactors back, Blinken’s appointment appears to be geared toward appeasing Israel. Trump’s defeat in the November 3 election generated a lot of anxiety in Washington and Tel Aviv. The Israelis were nervous that Trump’s proposed peace plan, which was essentially an American acquiescence to all of Israel’s demands, would be shelved. The Biden administration, meanwhile, remains wary of the contentious relationship Netanyahu had with the last Democratic administration under Barack Obama.
Blinken’s selection for the post of America’s top diplomat must have been considered in various political contexts. First, Israel needed immediate assurance that Biden would carry on Trump’s legacy. Second, the next secretary of state needed to match the love for Israel expressed by Mike Pompeo who was leaving. And third, the file on Iran’s nuclear program must be handled with the utmost sensitivity. Not only did Biden manage to make the most timely selection, but the Israelis are also absolutely delighted. Israeli leaders of all major political parties have welcomed Biden’s selection, unanimously declaring that Blinken is “good for Israel.”
Pro-Netanyahu politicians are particularly happy and eager to commit to a Blinken-led American foreign policy. Dore Gold, a close associate of Netanyahu who has served as director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, told Haaretz that he was “impressed” with Blinken and “found him to be very professional and a good listener.” Unlike the “just tough” attitudes of other Obama administration officials, Gold found Blinken to be “very outspoken” and without “any anti-Israel background.”
Other Israelis share the same sentiment, reflecting a collective understanding that Biden will not reverse any of the significant steps taken by his predecessor. Former Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni expressed optimism regarding the direction of US-Israeli relations. Like most Israelis, she had no qualms about Trump-Pompeo’s generosity and is now confident that Biden and Blinken will be equally benevolent to Israel.
While Israelis take comfort in realizing that Biden is unlikely to reverse any of the pro-Israel measures taken by the Trump administration, the Palestinian leadership seems oblivious to it. After speaking with Palestinian officials, Time magazine summed up the Palestinian Authority’s expectations as merely related to technical and diplomatic gestures, such as the reopening of the Palestinian mission in Washington, the establishment of a new American consulate for the Palestinians in East Jerusalem, and restoration. financing.
The inability of the Palestinians to appreciate the nature of the challenge ahead was also reflected in the political discourse of the Arab members of the Israeli Knesset. Ayman Odeh, the leader of Israel’s grand Arab political coalition, concluded that Biden would take Trump’s peace plan “off the table.”
While it is true that Biden is unlikely to borrow Trump’s divisive terminology, he will certainly keep the spirit of his predecessor’s peace plan alive. Trump’s proposal consisted of specific US measures aimed at validating Israel’s illegal claims on East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Golan Heights, as well as delinking Arab normalization with Israel from the issue of Israeli occupation. None of this is likely to change, even if some of Trump’s terminology is discarded.
This conclusion does not completely rule out the possibility of a future confrontation between Tel Aviv and Washington. However, if a disagreement occurs, it will not be because of Israel’s illegal actions in Palestine, but rather because of the likelihood that the US will restart talks with Iran on its nuclear program.

Pro-Netanyahu politicians are particularly happy and eager to commit to a Blinken-led American foreign policy.

Ramzy baroud

On Iran, Netanyahu’s message to Biden was decisive and undiplomatic. “You cannot go back to the previous nuclear deal,” warned the Israeli prime minister on November 22. With that caveat in mind, Blinken will find it extremely difficult to quell Israeli fears that, by entering into diplomatic relations with Iran, the US is leaving Tel Aviv. Thus, American guarantees to Israel are likely to come at the expense of the Palestinians: a free Israeli hand to expand illegal settlements, even more cutting-edge American weapons, and unconditional US support at the UN.
Biden’s Israel-Palestine policy is likely a continuation of Trump’s, but with a different designation. It is puzzling that the Palestinian leadership cannot see this and chooses to focus on getting the United States back into a failed state of affairs in which Washington blindly supports Israel while paying the Palestinians for their silence.

• Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of five books. His latest is “These chains will be broken: Palestinian stories of struggle and defiance in Israeli jails” (Clarity Press, Atlanta). Twitter: @RamzyBaroud

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