Unprecedented clash between Israel and the United States
The American vice president, J.D. Vance, said this week that after the midterm elections in November he will announce whether or not he will run in the next presidential elections. This would be very bad for Israel, especially after the unprecedented public comments he made on Thursday against the entire government of Benjamin Netanyahu, calling it "unacceptable" that Israel, in its bombings of Beirut, kills "people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah".
Vance's acidic comments fell on Israel like a heavy lead burden, and this is serious because Netanyahu has renounced the support of the Democratic party, at least most of that party, and has placed all his hope in the Republican party. Despite this, Netanyahu's circle is unsparingly criticizing the administration of Donald Trump.
The American administration considers that Netanyahu and his ministers have adopted a very aggressive and personal attitude against Trump. They even think, and this is a reminiscence of traditional anti-Semitism, that Israel is pulling the strings of a good part of the American and international press against the president with the November elections not far off.
The consequence of everything that is happening is that Israel has perhaps never been in such a compromised position as today, and its leaders are aware of this, as is a good part of ordinary citizens. In this situation, the government cannot risk the ties with the Republicans who at this time are its only support in the United States and almost in the world.
The tensions have caused a state of shockthat particularly affects the political class. It is enough to take a look at the local media to get an idea of the extent of a commotion that does not escape the population as a whole. This creates a state of considerable anxiety, aggravated by the fact that there is no way out of the crisis in sight.
Unstoppable drift to the right
It is evident that classical and historical Israel is rapidly disappearing under Netanyahu's leadership, if it has not already disappeared. The country is dominated by a more nationalist and religious right than ever before, which, little by little, excludes the secular and left-wing sectors that founded and built Israel. For three decades, Netanyahu has led the country in a dangerous, increasingly radical direction, and it is in this context that the most direct confrontation with Trump arrives.
With all certainty, Israeli elections will be held in October at the latest. The latest polls show that Netanyahu has a downward trend, perhaps because the agreement signed this week by the United States and Iran does not include any of Israel's basic demands. In this pre-election situation, Netanyahu's only option is to radicalize everything even further, given that his voter base is becoming increasingly radical.
It is no exaggeration to say that Israel has never found itself in a situation like the present one, of enormous complexity, both in international relations and within the country. Netanyahu is aware of this, but it is not clear that he wants or can stop the trend and change direction. Some opposition leaders, such as Naftali Bennett, warn that the situation presents the characteristics of suicide, and that suicide will be consolidated if Netanyahu wins at the polls again.