One in every of my ironclad guidelines of journalism is that this: While you see an elephant flying, don’t snicker, don’t doubt, don’t sneer — take notes. One thing very new and essential is occurring and we have to perceive it.
Final week, I noticed an elephant fly: The Senate majority chief, Chuck Schumer — an genuine, lifelong supporter of Israel — gave a speech calling on Israelis to carry an election as quickly as attainable with the intention to dump Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right cupboard.
That was one huge flying elephant. And it produced predictable responses from the Jewish proper (Schumer is a traitor), from Netanyahu (Israel is “not a banana republic”) and from cynics (Schumer’s simply cozying as much as the Democratic left). All predictable responses, and all improper responses.
The fitting response is a query: What has gone so haywire within the U.S.-Netanyahu relationship that it will drive somebody as sincerely dedicated to Israel’s well-being as Chuck Schumer to name on Israelis to interchange Netanyahu — and have his speech, which was good and delicate, praised by President Biden himself as a “good speech” outlining considerations shared by “many People”?
Israelis and pals of Israel ignore that fundamental query at their peril.
The reply has to do with a profound shift in U.S. politics and geopolitics on the subject of the Center East — a shift that the Gaza battle uncovered, and a shift that has made Netanyahu’s refusal to articulate any imaginative and prescient for Israeli-Palestinian relations primarily based on two states for 2 folks a risk to each Biden’s international coverage targets and re-election probabilities.
Earlier than I clarify why, I wish to be very clear about one factor that Schumer and Biden have additionally made clear: The battle in Gaza was pressured on Israel by a vicious assault by Hamas on Israeli border communities, populated by probably the most dovish Israelis within the nation’s political spectrum. In case you are calling for a “cease-fire now” in Gaza and never a “cease-fire and hostage launch now,” it’s making the issue worse. As a result of it simply feeds Israelis’ fears that the world is towards them, it doesn’t matter what they do.
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