Many experts believe that Biden’s term in the White House would be turned into challenges on the issue of Washington-Tel Aviv relations.
Iran’s issue is worrying the Zionist regime of Israel; meanwhile, the Palestinian issue is a challenging one for the occupying regime of Tel Aviv as it has an election ahead and has concerns about the consequences of new stance to be taken by the US on Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
To achieve their anti-Palestinian goals, Netanyahu and his rival, Benny Gantz, have agreed to a decision about building 5,787 new apartments, the decision which has caused Biden’s anger as he is an opponent of expanding settlements.
Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Milles has confirmed that Biden administration’s policy is to support two-state solution and restore financial aids to Palestinians who deserve to have an independent and stable state.
Middle East expert Munsif al-Salimi says that Biden’s stance on the issue of settlements is like what was taken by the former president Barack Obama.
Biden, al-Salimi said, faces a challenge to counter unprecedented problems created by his predecessor Donald Trump.
*** The JCPOA a US-Israeli gap
US-Israeli relations faced significant challenges during Obama administration, as in one case, Netanyahu attended a congressional hearing without being invited by the administration, and this angered the then Vice President Joe Biden who shouted that no authority in Israel has right to humiliate US president.
However, the bitterness was forgotten when Trump entered the White House in 2016 and gave extraordinary concession to Israel after recognizing Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, withdrawing from the JCPOA, assassinating Iran’s top general Qassem Soleimani and brokering normalization of relations between Israel and some Arab nations.
Netanyahu has been advised to avoid direct confrontation with Biden administration.
*** A cold shoulder to Netanyahu
In the early days after entering the White House on January 20, 2021, Joe Biden had conversations with several world leaders, but he postponed his call with Netanyahu to last week.
By his move, Biden gave a cold shoulder to Netanyahu.
Several Israeli officials had conversations with Biden team on different issues like Iran and normalization of relations between Arab countries and Israel, but Biden’s phone call to Netanyahu was put to delay until last week.
Above all, in his inauguration speech, Biden had no reference to Israel when he talked about building up alliances.
Besides, Biden did not inform Netanyahu of his Iran policy during the delayed phone call.
*** Justifiable delay
A report released by The Washington Post, US newspaper, says that Biden’s postponement was justifiable, because the Israeli Prime Minister has a record of interference in the US politics through alliance with Republican Party and support for its candidates.
Netanyahu approved a plan to build new apartments according to settlements plan during the power transmission process in the United States to avert possible opposition from Washington, according to The Washington Post.
Despite Netanyahu’s claims about his longstanding friendship with Biden, experts believe that disagreement between the two would not vanish so easily.
They say that Biden administration will keep distance from Israel at least for a few months to implement its plans on Iran policy and restoration of US reputation in international community.
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