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Jan 27, 20215 min read

Grudges in the Middle East? The United States and Israel- Part 2

Part 2: The United States and Israel


On December 19, 2019, both American and Israeli military officials quickly began to fear mass casualties in the Middle East after learning that Iran had been secretly stockpiling ballistic missiles, as well as weaponry from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, inside silos in Iraq. These silos were strategically placed to give Iran the capabilities to attack Israel, Syria, and Yemen. In the following weeks, the Israeli government scrambled to prepare defenses for a potential attack; however, the attack never came. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, blatantly expressed that while he feared Iran, he would begin treating it like a paper tiger: a false threat that should be ignored. While this declaration was political posturing, this is far from the first time Iran-Israel tensions have risen, as historically, they have fluctuated depending on the actions of a key actor: America.


The Middle East has turned into a cold war, where the stability of the region is contingent upon American involvement or lack thereof. Throughout different administrations, America has both eased and exacerbated existing tensions; creating and breaking alliances while they shift from one side to the other. The following outlines a series of guiding questions that help to understand the history between America and Israel in this trilateral relationship, starting with President Obama.


Actions Taken by the Obama Administration


In his foreign policy, President Obama aimed to appease both Iran and Israel through constant negotiation by normalizing relations. However, he quickly realized that appealing to both parties would be nearly impossible. As he engaged with Iran, he was able to seemingly make progress with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, as the Iranian policies towards the United States became much more lenient. Despite his progress with Iran, Obama ultimately took one step forward and two steps back. This became apparent when Netanyahu issued a press statement that vehemently called for the U.S. to end communications with Iran because he viewed any partnership between America and Iran as a major threat to his sovereignty. Seeing as U.S. Democrats were in favor of eased tensions between the U.S. and Iran, Netanyahu bought his way into domestic politics by turning to Republicans. Over a 6 month span, Israel gained a massive lobby in the Senate, with 47 Republican Senators writing an open letter to Netanyahu. Consequently, the American effort to de-escalate Middle Eastern tensions became disconnected and divided, as the Republican faction of Congress strongly supported Israel, while the Democratic executive favored relations with Iran. This culminated in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), otherwise known as the Iran nuclear deal, signed by President Obama, in which Iran was ordered to reduce its uranium stockpile by 98%. Obama thought that this step might alleviate tensions with Israel as well, but the Israeli response to the agreement was one of anger. Netanyahu felt that the deal made it easier for Iran to attack in the future because it would lull the international community into a false sense of security. In the end, the Obama administration pleased Iran but angered Israel; however, roles were reversed with President Trump in office.


Shifts Under President Trump


When President Trump assumed power, his mission was to undo the steps made by the Obama administration. One of his first decisions was to pull the U.S. out of the JCPOA, leaving the international community to fend for itself. This decimated the legitimacy of the deal and resulted in Iran violating the agreement on multiple occasions, and with this, Iran was incredibly worse off under the Trump administration. When President Trump pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal he was able to impose heavy sanctions on Iran. Trump also placed an embargo on Iranian dealings and a ban on selling aviation repair parts to the Iranian corporate sector. Trump’s intention was to apply as much pressure as possible to the Iranian economy, and as a result, he grew incredibly close to Israel, forming a strong bond with PM Netanyahu. Israeli administrative officials proceeded to capitalize on Iran’s economic stagnation by launching multiple military offensives and airstrikes against the country. Simultaneously, Trump paralyzed the Iranian military by ordering the killing of prominent General Qassim Soleimani. These actions succeeded in isolating Iran by cutting it off from sources of revenue.


Beyond Iran though, President Trump made a series of decisions that gave Israel far too much international power by enabling violence against Palestine. It started when Trump officially recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and decided to move the US Embassy there, despite 14/15 members of the UN Security Council opposing this act. In response, Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist organization, declared an uprising against President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu. Following the Palestinian declarations, violence erupted along the Gaza Strip and West Bank, which are two areas that both Palestine and Israel claim they have sovereignty over. Trump’s announcement effectively enabled Israel to gain the upper hand in the conflict though, because it gave the Israeli state bolstered international justification for their territorial claims. Trump then proceeded to announce through a White House press statement that Israel was fully warranted in annexing Palestinian lands, which added fuel to the fire and further exacerbated bloodshed in the region. The final nail in the coffin for Palestine came a few months after the statement when President Trump turned international NGOs against the Palestinian state. Specifically, the Trump administration slashed all funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which actively aided Palestinian refugee resettlement as well as cutting $300 million in support for Palestinian healthcare, security, and coexistence efforts, which in turn severely crippled Palestine’s ability to protect its land. All of these actions succeeded in strengthening Israel and destabilizing the Middle East by creating a massive power vacuum.


Middle Eastern Future with a Biden Administration


Newly-inaugurated President Biden has already stated that he will take a hard line with Israel to undo the damage caused by President Trump. In fact, Biden has expressed plans to weaken Netanyahu, rejoin the JCPOA, lift Iranian sanctions, and legitimize the Palestinian state. His goal is ultimately to stabilize the Middle East by carefully learning from the Obama and Trump administration's shortcomings in order to properly assess the conflict. In the near future, America will see another reversal of allegiance as a Biden-led effort will get closer to Iran while distancing itself from Israel.


International upset in the Middle East has existed for decades, and while American intervention has not always been purely beneficial, it is the only hope for reconciliation between Israel and Iran. Despite the U.S. teetering between pro-Israel and anti-Israel, our relations with Netanyahu put us in a prime position to balance the region, once and for all. Progress is slow, but it is not impossible.


Discussion Questions:

  • Will Palestine be able to reclaim the Gaza Strip from Israel?

  • How can Iran recover from 4 years of economic turmoil?

  • Does Joe Biden have the ability to bridge the divide between Israel and Iran after all that the U.S. has done?


Sources Used/ Further Reading:





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