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U.S. Interference in Israel's Internal Affairs

(Council on Foreign Relations) Elliott Abrams - When France was swept by violent demonstrations earlier this month and thousands of people were detained, there were no comments from the Biden administration that France's democracy is at risk, or that the relationship between our two countries will be damaged if this continues. But as to Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu's proposed judicial reforms, the administration has been interfering for months. Why does the administration feel quite free to interfere with the internal politics of one democratic ally and not another? The double standard in Biden administration treatment of the unrest in France and in Israel is evident. It is also quite problematic, because it creates a precedent that those who are today urging interference in Israeli domestic disputes may tomorrow regret. The role of Israel's judiciary is about as "internal" a matter as can be imagined. Israelis are struggling - democratically and peacefully - over those domestic issues. They should be able to do so without U.S. interference. The writer, a senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the CFR, served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor, where he supervised U.S. policy in the Middle East for the White House.
2023-07-17 00:00:00
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