There’s a Fix for Israel’s Image Crisis
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The vote by 103 House Democrats to suspend U.S. military aid to Israel has been received by many Israelis with deep foreboding. Coming in the wake of tanking support in U.S. opinion polls, a string of victories in Democratic primaries by harsh critics of Israel such as Darializa Avila Chevalier and Melat Kiros, and the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was called one of Israel’s “greatest friends,” the vote seemed to suggest that the Washington they knew had also passed into eternity.
But that conclusion is premature. Israel can still shore up its position in the United States and rebuild bipartisan support. A change in Israeli leadership is a vital first step, but deeper policy changes will also be needed, particularly in how Israel relates to the Palestinians. The opposition parties seeking to lead Israel after the national elections in October need to quickly make it clear that they intend to advance such changes.
The vote by 103 House Democrats to suspend U.S. military aid to Israel has been received by many Israelis with deep foreboding. Coming in the wake of tanking support in U.S. opinion polls, a string of victories in Democratic primaries by harsh critics of Israel such as Darializa Avila Chevalier and Melat Kiros, and the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, who was called one of Israel’s “greatest friends,” the vote seemed to suggest that the Washington they knew had also passed into eternity.
But that conclusion is premature. Israel can still shore up its position in the United States and rebuild bipartisan support. A change in Israeli leadership is a vital first step, but deeper policy........
