The Atlantic magazine published an article titled “How Netanyahu Destroyed Israel’s Standing in the United States?” by the renowned Jewish American journalist Franklin Feuer. Feuer recounts that in 1982, Netanyahu was working as a sales representative for a Jerusalem-based furniture company when the Israeli ambassador to Washington approached him and persuaded him to join forces to promote Israel to Americans. Netanyahu quickly became the face of Israel on American television. From then on, he dedicated himself to promoting his country.
Forty years later, he has failed in his mission. While solidarity with Israel was once one of the few issues on which Democrats and Republicans agreed, the repercussions of the October 7 attacks and Israel’s subsequent crimes in Gaza have undermined that consensus. Two years ago, 19 Democratic senators voted against selling weapons to Israel. Last April, that number rose to 40 out of 47, including presidential candidates. A Muslim and opponent of Zionism was elected mayor of New York City, the city with the largest Jewish population in America. A pro-Palestinian candidate is certain to win a seat in Congress.
Criticism of Israel has become a major topic on the agenda of leading liberal senators. Vice President Vance, the frontrunner for the 2028 presidential nomination, has stated that disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had ties to Israeli intelligence. Vance has also accused Israel of conspiring against his diplomacy with Iran. According to Feuer, such comments would have been enough to expel any Republican from the party just a few years ago.
In Feuer’s view, Netanyahu could have halted the decline in Israel’s reputation had he made an effort to respect Obama or demonstrate a genuine desire for a just and equitable solution to the Palestinian issue. Even if he believed the Palestinians were uninterested, he acted with blatant arrogance and recklessness. Then came President Donald Trump, whom Netanyahu now considers “Israel’s best friend,” and in whom he saw a golden opportunity. His groveling loyalty to Trump went beyond mere flattery, and Trump rewarded him by moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal.
The number of members of Congress refusing to accept money from AIPAC grew. Democratic presidential candidates recognized this new trend and sought to promote themselves through high-profile confrontations with Israel. This division exposed Netanyahu, who had repeatedly claimed that no one understood Americans better than he did. Then came the American-Israeli attack on Iran and its proxies, with the stated goal of eliminating the only Jewish-majority state in the world.
Netanyahu fiercely countered the military threats, but he lost on the very battlefield that had shaped his career. He had come to power by convincing Americans of the righteousness of his cause, but once in office, he acted as though American conviction no longer mattered. Feuer believes that Netanyahu never grasped that his past successes were achieved under favorable circumstances and decades of American sympathy for the Israeli cause. When those circumstances changed, Netanyahu did not adjust his strategy; instead, he concluded that he could not change the minds of Americans who were hostile to the Jewish state. Netanyahu’s disregard for global public opinion was further demonstrated by his selection of some of the most unsavory figures to form his government. He did not allow criticism of their statements or policies.
He failed to present a clear plan for Gaza and rejected American attempts at normalization, fearing that doing so would anger right-wing parties. Ultimately, Israel will regret the extent of American political support it has lost under Netanyahu. Politically independent voters have become more sympathetic to the Palestinians than to the Israelis. Sixty percent of adult Americans hold a negative view of Israel. A majority of Republicans under 45 oppose renewing the military aid package to Israel. Support is also waning among young evangelicals, who were once a strong pro-Israel voting bloc.
Feuer’s commentary ends here. All these dramatic changes would not have been possible without the deadly “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation of October 7, 2023, regardless of our deeply negative opinion of those who carried it out. The restoration of rights and the success of revolutions often require bloodshed.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
