Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has grossly overreacted to the U. S. abstention on a UN Security Council resolution over settlements.
The language of the resolution and the abstention have precedent from the past. For decades, the UN Security Council has passed resolutions condemning Israel and the U.S. has abstained and even voted in favor. Several dealt directly with settlements and Jerusalem. During the Gaza war, the Bush administration abstained on resolutions Israel didn’t like.
Acting like a spoiled brat, Netanyahu went on a rampage. He has recalled his ambassadors from Senegal and New Zealand, and cancelled visits to Israel from the prime minister of the Ukraine, which voted yes, and from the Senegal foreign minister. He also cut off an aid program to Senegal.
All this does is increase Israel’s isolation. He could have used the opportunity of the Senegalese and Ukrainian visits to demonstrate how the countries have good relations with Israel despite its UN vote. Former foreign minister Tzipi Livni said that “Netanyahu is isolating Israel because of isolated settlements,”
He also has maxed out on his anti-Obama rhetoric.
I support Israel but I know a stupid move when I see one. The Israeli political opposition blames Netanyahu for this crisis and they are right. He failed to keep on good terms with Washington and he failed to curb his pro-settlement coalition partners in their legislative initiative. He’s behaving now as if Israel is supposed to call the shots in Washington.
I’m not going to get into a debate as to who’s right and who’s wrong in the Middle East, and the validity of the settlements themselves. If people want to do that in the comments section, go ahead. I’m just looking at the practical political implications, which are negative for Israel and great for Trump. He is going out of his way to exploit this overreaction and to get Jewish votes.
Democratic politicians need to keep focused and not let Trump get a political advantage from this fight between the U.S. and Israel. They need to keep their eye on the prize, which is to keep Trump from getting his way on the Supreme Court and in health care and other domestic programs, like Social Security, that are in danger.