“Get your scorecard here! You can't tell the players without a scorecard!”
BLUF:
"Over the past week, however, the GOP has reached a rare kumbaya moment: U.S. President Joe Biden is bad for Israel, and Senate Majority LeaderChuck Schumerhas proven that the Democratic Party has abandoned what they deem to be America's most crucial ally.
"Much of the GOP efforts to make this claim have been centered around Biden's explicitcritiques of Netanyahuand Schumer's alleged unprecedented interference in a sister democracy. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has involved himself in U.S. political affairs for decades while his coalition has openly thumbed its nose at Biden since coming to power 14 months ago.
"Netanyahu's efforts include effectively endorsing Mitt Romney in the 2012 U.S. presidential election and perhaps the most defining moment of his career in 2015: Running parallel to AIPAC's $30 million lobbying campaign against the Iran nuclear deal, Netanyahu organized (behind U.S. President Barack Obama's back) and then delivered an unprecedentedly partisan address vilifying the deal to a joint session of Congress that 58 Democrats boycotted.
"The event was viewed as the tipping point of a trend long in motion, much of which is owned by Netanyahu: the growingpoliticization of Israelin the United States, where Republicans used anything short of blanket support for Israel as a political cudgel against Democrats.
"This trend has only deepened in recent years, particularly during Donald Trump's presidency and Kevin McCarthy's brief stint as Speaker of the House, though has grown a bit more complicated with the GOP's aforementioned intraparty foreign policy battles
. . .
"Trump himself is not only getting in the act, but attempting to fomentdomestic Israeli opposition to Biden himself — illustrating how twisted the path has already become to this point.
"The Democrats are very bad for Israel. Israel sticks with them," he told Fox News. "I guess Israel is loyal, maybe to a fault, because they stick with these guys."
"Netanyahu is banking on these efforts, from both Trump and the GOP establishment, as providing him with a political life raft. He has already selectively cited and rejected polls wherever it serves him — the GOP party line will serve as another arrow in his quiver in the coming weeks and months."
WASHINGTON – The Republican Party has found itself at an intensifying crossroads in recent years, where the GOP's long-established hawkish wing has been cannibalized by its ascendant isolationist wing.
This foreign policy rift has been one of the defining stories of the Republican Party in recent years, only reaching new heights amid Ukraine's desperation for U.S. assistance and Israel's war in Gaza following October 7.
Over the past week, however, the GOP has reached a rare kumbaya moment: U.S. President Joe Biden is bad for Israel, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has proven that the Democratic Party has abandoned what they deem to be America's most crucial ally.
Much of the GOP efforts to make this claim have been centered around Biden's explicit critiques of Netanyahu and Schumer's alleged unprecedented interference in a sister democracy. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has involved himself in U.S. political affairs for decades while his coalition has openly thumbed its nose at Biden since coming to power 14 months ago.
Netanyahu's efforts include effectively endorsing Mitt Romney in the 2012 U.S. presidential election and perhaps the most defining moment of his career in 2015: Running parallel to AIPAC's $30 million lobbying campaign against the Iran nuclear deal, Netanyahu organized (behind U.S. President Barack Obama's back) and then delivered an unprecedentedly partisan address vilifying the deal to a joint session of Congress that 58 Democrats boycotted.
The event was viewed as the tipping point of a trend long in motion, much of which is owned by Netanyahu: the growing politicization of Israel in the United States, where Republicans used anything short of blanket support for Israel as a political cudgel against Democrats.
This trend has only deepened in recent years, particularly during Donald Trump's presidency and Kevin McCarthy's brief stint as Speaker of the House, though has grown a bit more complicated with the GOP's aforementioned intraparty foreign policy battles. This has been of particular significance as Congress has failed to pass legislation that would provide Israel with more than $14 billion in emergency assistance.
Democrats, meanwhile, have only grown further disillusioned with Netanyahu over the years — a feeling that has only grown exponentially over the last five months as Israel's conduct in Gaza has resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe.
Tensions between Netanyahu and the Democratic Party have reached their zenith amid this backdrop, with Schumer's watershed speech clearing the path for Democrats —and Biden, should he choose — to fully disavow Netanyahu.
Biden and NetanyahuCredit: Debbie Hill / Pool / AFP
Biden administration officials — many of whom remember the 2015 Iran deal spat all too well — have long been reluctant to directly take on Netanyahu, well aware of his playbook.
No matter what track the White House tries to take with him, Netanyahu — who was temporarily set to address the Senate Republican retreat even before Schumer's historic speech amplified the divide — is already responding by doing what he is so ostensibly offended by: fomenting political opposition to the current head of state in a sister democracy.
His appearances on friendly U.S. media (save a contentious interview with CNN's Dana Bash) and the talking points used during such interviews have been fully adopted, internalized and echoed by Biden's political foes.
This is already being used as campaign fodder, with the Republican Jewish Coalition insisting that the Schumer-led Democratic Party has knifed Israel in the back while key GOP lawmakers across the political spectrum similarly accusing Biden of undue interference in a foreign election (it bears mentioning the irony considering the partisan divides over Russia's interference).
Trump himself is not only getting in the act, but attempting to foment domestic Israeli opposition to Biden himself — illustrating how twisted the path has already become to this point.
"The Democrats are very bad for Israel. Israel sticks with them," he told Fox News. "I guess Israel is loyal, maybe to a fault, because they stick with these guys."
Netanyahu is banking on these efforts, from both Trump and the GOP establishment, as providing him with a political life raft. He has already selectively cited and rejected polls wherever it serves him — the GOP party line will serve as another arrow in his quiver in the coming weeks and months.
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