Washington Sideshow Can't Conceal the Ugly Reality of Netanyahu's Horrific Judicial Coup - Israel News - Haaretz.com
In the Oval Office on Tuesday, two grizzled old political foxes were acting out a theater performance entitled “Normal Political Relations.” It was a scripted drama, and U.S. President Joe Biden read his lines directly from a page placed on his lap. Israeli President Isaac Herzog, on the other hand, had memorized all his well-worn clichés at home.
'We are defending Israel from an internal threat,' say military reservists
SubscribeFirm commitment, unbreakable friendship – there wasn’t a slogan about Israel-U.S. relations that wasn’t pulled out for this performance, the whole purpose of which was to show how much stronger bilateral relations between the countries and their people are than any particular disagreement with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s horrific government.
Even the statements issued by Biden’s and Netanyahu’s offices after their phone call that day could have easily been written in advance. As expected, Netanyahu highlighted, as much as he could, his supposedly good relations with the White House despite everything, the theoretical invitation he received to the long-awaited meeting there, the joint struggle against Iran and his intentions to continue pursuing the judicial overhaul despite his express promise to seek a broad consensus (“It’s the base, Joe, they’re forcing me to do it, I have no room to maneuver politically”).
- President Herzog, tell Biden about our struggle against Netanyahu's judicial coup
- DeSantis: Biden needs to 'butt out' on judicial overhaul, let Israel govern itself
- Nine Democrats vote against GOP politicized resolution deeming Israel 'not racist'
The Americans, on the other hand, stressed first and foremost the complete military coordination between the two countries vis-a-vis Iran. They also pointed to the need to restore calm on the Palestinian front and to strengthen the Palestinian Authority (the “Aqaba process”) in order to assist efforts to normalize Israeli relations with Saudi Arabia, as well as the usual demand from Democratic White Houses to curb settlement construction. And of course they noted their disapproval of the judicial overhaul and the need to protect democracy (“You’re making it difficult for me, Bibi. How can we continue to say that we have shared values?”).
Contrary to Israelis’ great fondness for analyzing every diplomatic move in terms of sticks and carrots, or the winner and loser in the horse race, having the telephone call with Biden before he met with Herzog at the White House did not amount to much of a prize for the prime minister.
Sometimes it’s just protocol – a conversation with the leader of a country just before another senior figure from that country is due to visit. Equally, there is no reason to interpret the hugs and the cordial treatment that greeted Herzog as a slap in the face of the absent Netanyahu. Although the U.S. wants to show that its relations with Israel are deeper than the matter of one government or another, Herzog nevertheless came to the U.S. as an envoy representing the government, not as a determined representative of a fighting opposition.
During his U.S. visit, Herzog will do what he always does best: walk between the raindrops and stay dry. Even if in private he makes a remark here and there against the judicial overhaul, his public messaging, certainly on diplomatic and security issues, will serve the Netanyahu government very well.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu touring the Palmachim Air Force base earlier this month.Credit: Hadas Parush
His main role will be to reassure the Americans that Israel remains a wonderful democracy, that no one is breaking anything, that it is both important and realistic to reach a “compromise” between the two sides over the overhaul and that for all the disagreements, the government is still right on the main security issues. In this regard, Herzog will serve as an excellent ambassador for Netanyahu and his government. Just like the real ambassador in Washington – his brother Mike.
Meanwhile, in the real world, beyond the diplomatic performances, government ministers have made it clear over and over again that the bill to cancel the reasonableness standard is only the appetizer ahead of the judicial overhaul main dish. Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of the National Security Council, said the only (!) issue on the agenda when the Knesset returns from its summer recess will be revamping the Judicial Appointments Committee. He says Netanyahu even told Biden this.
The evening after the phone call, Netanyahu’s people engaged in their favorite hobby: lying and denying. This time it was about settlement construction. Biden was allegedly told that building would be limited, but the right-wing websites in Israel were told that no such commitment had ever been made. (and with Trump, Desantis, or any Republican POTUS, that pretence isn't even necessary or even desired!)
This ugly reality is well understood by the brave demonstrators who once again crowded the streets of the country on Tuesday. If there is still a slim chance of stopping the first step in the judicial overhaul over the next two weeks, it now depends on the impressive resistance of ordinary Israelis, not necessarily on the sideshow being played out in America.