ALL HE HAD TO DO WAS NOT BE DONALD:

This two-part dance step--mild criticism of Netanyahu and his coalition followed by walk backs and declarations of friendship--has become the Biden administration's go-to move since the December 2022 ascension of Israel's extremist right-wing government, which has expanded Israeli settlements in the West Bank, elevated far-right politicians to influential ministerial posts, and advanced legislation to gut the power of Israel's judiciary. In response to these blatant contraventions of long-standing US policy and public challenges to the bromide of "shared democratic values," the administration has repeatedly voiced its dis­pleasure--all while continuing to stress the importance of the US-Israel alliance, to send weapons to Israel, and to shield the country from pressure at the United Nations. Aaron David Miller, a veteran former diplomat who spent more than two decades advising six secretaries of state from both parties on Israel/Palestine, said Biden is "trying to create some distance" between the administration and Netanyahu's coalition, but is "simply not willing to impose any sort of cost" for their behavior beyond the "passive-aggressive approach" exemplified by Netanyahu's delayed invitation. Yousef Munayyer, a scholar at the Arab Center Washington DC, pointed to the disastrous effects of this strategy: "The Israelis are committed to doing what they're doing to Palestinians in good part because there haven't been any negative con­sequences for it," he said. "They've only been rewarded for this behavior over time--particularly in Washington."

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