Analysts claim that while Washington’s criticism of Israel is not directed at the Palestinians, it may cast doubt on US-Israel relations.
DC, Washington Leaders of the United States, and Israel rarely have open disagreements.
Nevertheless, last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden sparred over a proposal by Netanyahu’s far-right administration to reform Israel’s judiciary.
Although the Israeli occupation was not a topic of discussion during the back-and-forth between the two leaders, some have said that the controversy may offer a chance to raise US citizens’ awareness of Palestinians’ predicament.
According to Palestinian-American analyst Yousef Munayyer, Biden’s “major statement” against Netanyahu’s judicial reform plan will have a “far broader influence” than just that particular problem. It might also further normalize criticism of Israel in US politics.
Munayyer claimed that Biden’s blunt criticism will increase the already rising skepticism of the notion that the tight relationship between the US and Israel is founded on “similar principles” of democracy and freedom, especially among Democrats.
Reform Judaism religious leaders warned that if adopted, the measures “would substantially impair Israel’s democracy, eviscerating any effective checks and balances that ensure a separation of powers – a backbone of secure democracies.”
Palestinians have mostly been excluded from this discussion, but proponents for their rights claim that the uncommon criticism of the Israeli government in mainstream US circles may encourage additional discussions about the nation and how it treats its Palestinian citizens.
They point out that Americans have been showing increasing sympathy for the Palestinians lately, especially among Democrats and young people, and they hope the crisis will continue this trend.
When a US president challenges Israel, as Biden did this week, according to Zogby, “it indicates it can be done.”
He told Al Jazeera, “And it shows that Israel responds to pressure. Also, you see hundreds of thousands of Israelis protesting against their government, which all adds to the US’s growing interest in what’s happening in Israel.
The Palestinian issue is being brought back into emphasis when it comes to Israel by some lawmakers in Congress at the same time.
The Jewish Currents news website stated on Wednesday that US Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Senator Bernie Sanders are leading the charge to demand that the Biden administration make sure US weaponry is not used in Israeli violations of Palestinian rights. Although it mostly focuses
The Jewish Currents news website stated on Wednesday that US Congressman Jamaal Bowman and Senator Bernie Sanders are leading the charge to demand that the Biden administration make sure US weaponry is not used in Israeli violations of Palestinian rights. Despite concentrating mostly on Israeli wrongdoings against Palestinians, the letter also mentions Netanyahu’s need for judicial reform.
It stated that both Israelis and Palestinians were at risk due to the anti-democratic objective of this Israeli administration to undermine the rule of law. This government is working to undermine the independent Israeli judiciary in addition to its overtly anti-Palestinian policies.
According to a report on Wednesday by the Jewish Currents news website, Senator Bernie Sanders and US Congressman Jamaal Bowman are spearheading the campaign to demand that the Biden administration ensure that US weapons are not used in Israeli breaches of Palestinian rights. Despite focusing mostly on Israeli wrongdoings against Palestinians, the petition also calls for judicial reform, which Netanyahu supports.
It was argued that the anti-democratic goal of this Israeli administration to weaken the rule of law put both Israelis and Palestinians at risk. Together with its explicitly anti-Palestinian policies, this administration is aiming to weaken the impartial Israeli judiciary.
However, the so-called “pro-democracy marches” in Israel have not included Palestinians in their list of demands. Analysts have stated that the Israeli Supreme Court frequently supports laws that target and punish Palestinians, whose powers the anti-Netanyahu demonstrators have united to save.
However, Noura Erakat, a legal expert and activist who is Palestinian-American, claimed that proponents of Palestine might highlight violations of Palestinian rights using the situation in Israel.
She told Al Jazeera, “I think everything is a chance for intervention, even if it’s about disruption – to essentially short-circuit the media narrative to spotlight these things.
Erakat noted that some Palestinian pundits are arguing that Israel cannot be a democracy if it continues to mistreat Palestinians living under its rule through mainstream, alternative, and social media.
She compared this period to the time when Donald Trump was the US president, when leftist detractors often attacked his domestic and foreign policies, providing a platform for criticism of US support for Israel.
Erakat lamented the fact that Biden and several pro-Israel organizations only sharply criticized Netanyahu when internal Israeli concerns were at stake, showing that Palestinians “don’t count” to them.
Munayyer stated that Palestinians should concentrate on inserting themselves into the discourse even though it is “frustrating” because Israeli transgressions against Palestinians do not elicit this kind of response from Washington.
Using the lens of shared values, he said, “we need to examine how the issue of Palestinian rights might appeal to American audiences.”
“It needs to make clear that there are no shared principles without freedom and equality for Palestinians, and true democracy includes Palestinians, if this is fundamental to the US-Israel relationship.”
