|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-809807
Challenges Facing Israel in Relations with the U.S.
(Jerusalem Post) Amb. Zalman Shoval - Anyone familiar even to the slightest degree with political realities would acknowledge that the U.S.-Israel relationship is of vital importance. This does not mean that the relationship will always be harmonious. There have been and will always be disagreements resulting from the simple fact that a country has interests of its own that do not necessarily match even those of a close ally. So, the rule for Israeli diplomacy, established by Moshe Dayan, still holds: risk a confrontation, if at all, only on absolutely essential issues. Yet political, social, and cultural changes currently taking place in the U.S. have already affected America's position in the world and its foreign relations. More than a few questions arise. Has America given up on its role as the world's leading superpower and leader of the free world? Have America's values, which played a significant role in its relations with Israel, turned hollow? What will the effect of the demographic changes in American society be on Israel and American Jews, and what about the rising antisemitism? The writer served as Israel's ambassador to the U.S. from 1990 to 1993 and from 1998 to 2000.