Biden could be isolated because of stance on Israeli-Palestinian conflict

*The opinion was written for The Guardian, translated by Periscope.

In his firm defense of Israel, Joe Biden is risking himself.

Beden is standing behind the steadfast line set up as a new senator, and is not backing back from the progressive arm of his party or the Jewish Democrats that are being hard on Banam Netanyah.

Beden is even prepared to face isolation at the UN Security Council, at the potential cost of its own credibility or multilaterism for human rights. But analysts say that as the number of deaths in the conflict increases without signs of ceasefire, domestic and international pressure on the president may become impossible to ignore.

American Jews are becoming increasingly skeptical of Netanyah and its policies. A study by the Research Centre Pew published last week found that 40 per cent of them thought the prime minister was offering good leadership, particularly falling from the young Hebrews to 32 percent. Surprisingly, only 34 percent opposed sanctions and other penalty measures against Israel.

The liberal lobe of American Jews, J Street, has increased influence in the Democratic Party and has called on Biden to do more to stop the bloodshed and Israeli policies that have helped fuel conflict.

“We also urge the administration to make it clear publicly that Israel's efforts to expel Palestinian families from East Jerusalem and the West Coast are unacceptable, as is the use of excessive force against protesters,” said Jeremy Ben-Ammi, president of the group.

A prominent Jewish progressive writer, Peter Beinart, wrote a comment to The New York Times last week arguing about the right of Palestinian refugees to return as the only sustainable solution to the cycle of violence. “Details from East Jerusalem are as painful because they are continuing as a feature of expulsion that is as old as Israel itself,” he wrote.

Donald Trump's full support for Netanyah and his policies contributed to making Israel's policy as a party issue. Facing strong opposition from American Jews, former Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer argued publicly last week that the Israeli government should spend more energy on the arrival of the Evangelical “passionately” Americans than the Jews who said that “are disproportionally among our critics”.

American evangelists such as Mike Pence and Mike Pompeii had helped shape Trump politics over Israel. They are not the force in the Democratic Party, but consideration should be given in the states that control and that Beden needs to win in next year's mid-mandate elections in order to hold the majority at the congress.

However, he cannot afford the alienation of his party's progressives. It was progressive enthusiasm, and supporters of key figures like Bernie Saunders, who helped Biden win the term as president.

Congress progressors such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been increasingly vocal in their criticism against the Biden line in Israel's defense. If the Biden administration can't protect an ally, who can protect him? How can they confidently claim to protect human rights?” wrote on Saturday Ocasio-Cortez in its Twitter account.

Beden has worked hard to cultivate relations with progressives during the campaign, but also after that, making them participants in policy-building, but the current crises have ended the honeymoon.

Most analysts, however, say that Biden has set his course for Israel a long time ago, and that it would be hard for him to change it. He was a strong defender in the Senate for decades, supporting Israel's bombings against suspected Iraqi nuclear reactors in 1981, for example, naming himself the least of Israel's best Catholic “”.

His foreign policy is based on the foundations of traditional American alliances.

“Biden has his compass when it comes to that region, and it is hard to put pressure on the left of his party,” ha Carmiel Arbit. But it also depends on the situation. If the conflict escalates, and the number of victims increased greatly, Beden's position could change. ”

Daniel Levy, the head of a mendatank, agreed that the political soil under the feet of Biden was changing. It is premature to say that the special treatment Israel receives in American politics will eventually end. However, dynamics are leading that direction, and signs of change are already obvious. The question is how far and how fast they will move. ”

For a short time, he said, the key will remain in views shared in the Senate, which is divided by 50-50, with the Benden agenda often dependent on that of Kamala Harris, the vice president, who also leads to the crucial vote.