INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON US- RELATIONS The Arab-Israel Conflict towards a Post-Obama Era

In May, the BESA Center held an international conference to mark publication of center associate Dr. Jonathan Rynhold's book The Arab-Israel Conflict in American Political Culture (Cambridge U. Press, 2015). The conference was cosponsored by the Argov Center for the Study of Israel and the Jewish People, headed by Dr. Rynhold.

sympathy for Israel over the Palestinians Israel needs to take care to protect has grown among supporters of both its image as a democracy, while parties, it has grown far more among demonstrating a credible commitment Republicans. Moreover, a majority to a two-state solution. That does not of Republicans believe that the mean that Israel has to give in to all Palestinians are mainly to blame for the Palestinian demands and dismantle all Book author Dr. Jonathan conflict, that Israel’s use of force against settlements tomorrow. After all, the Rynhold of the BESA Center. and Hezbollah is justified and US has many other issues to deal with that the US should side with Israel. They and there remain very strong concerns The conference looked at the are divided about settlements. about the other side’s commitment domestic foundations of the US-Israel to peaceful coexistence. Nonetheless, relationship, US foreign policy in the In contrast, a majority of Democrats expansion of settlements is viewed as , and US-Israel relations into support Palestinian statehood and challenging Israel’s commitment to the future – towards a post-Obama era. oppose settlements. A majority prefers maintaining the possibility of a two- A great deal of the discussion centered that the US take an even-handed state solution, and is therefore to be on the growing partisanship in US approach to the conflict, and they have avoided.” politics and in discussion of Israel – an been equivocal regarding Israel’s use of issue that Dr. Rynhold studies closely in force, and divided over whether the US Mr. Elliott Abrams, former US Deputy his new book. should put more pressure on Israel or National Security Advisor in the George the Palestinians. W. Bush administration, agreed with In fact, Rynhold’s book provides Rynhold that it was important for Israel the most extensive account of how With the “millennial” generation and for US-Israel relations to maintain Americans have viewed Israel and the increasingly liberal, how can Israel deal some sort of ongoing peace diplomacy Arab-Israeli conflict since the end of the with this situation? “Bipartisanship with the Palestinians. “Israel must Cold War. On the one hand, American remains critical to maintain the special always be seen as making efforts for sympathy for Israel is extremely relationship,” Rynhold said. “In order peace, even if the chances of such are widespread and deeply rooted. Indeed, to protect support among Democrats, slim,” he argued. sympathy for Israel has surged to new heights in the 21st century in stark Ambassador Sallai contrast to opinion in Europe. This is Meridor, former primarily in response to 9/11 and it has Israeli Ambassador reinforced the underlying commitment to the US, added that to Israeli security. by building in the settlements Israel On the other hand, Americans are was undermining increasingly divided about how to deal its reputation for with the Arab-Israeli conflict and this honesty. “While in division increasingly aligns with the the past settlements major political, ideological and religious were an asset for divides in America. Israel – some to be fixed assets, others to In his conference presentation, Rynhold be negotiable assets focused on the differences between Ambassador , David M. Weinberg of – today settlement Republicans and Democrats. While the BESA Center, and Elliott Abrams. construction is intriguing was made on the issues of , possibility of security and mutual recognition. using Israel’s Prof. Efraim Inbar, Prof. Uzi Arad, and Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaakov Amidror. improving Makovsky bemoaned the fact that ties with sub- the negotiations were conducted in increasingly seen as a liability.” Meridor Saharan Africa as a way of connecting a “hermetically sealed negotiation went on to express deep concern for with the Afro-American community. environment,” with no “synchronized the breakdown of “shared values” in political messaging to the Israeli and American politics, and explained how The conference was capped by a Palestinian publics,” and thus no this made it difficult for Israel to base detailed and revealing presentation way to prepare these publics for the its relationship with the US on shared by Mr. David Makovsky of Washington compromises necessary for peace. values. Institute of Near East Policy, who was part of US Secretary of State John Makovsky admitted that the Palestinian Prof. Walter Russell Mead of Bard Kerry’s negotiating team for the failed unilateral appeal to the International College also related to the polarization Israeli-Palestinian talks. Makovsky Criminal Court and other UN institutions of American politics, but stressed that argued that “history will yet record blew the talks apart, and that Israeli the troubles in US-Israel relations run Kerry as Israel’s best friend. It will show construction in the settlements during deeper. “They stem from a US desire how closely he worked with Netanyahu the talks was mostly limited to lands to disengage globally. Obama is more to Israel’s benefit.” that Mahmoud Abbas had already a symptom than a cause of this,” he agreed (in his talks with Prime Minister argued. The cold, hard realism about Makovksy said that there was far more Olmert) to forgo. “Nevertheless, the the world that was central to Jacksonian progress made in the talks than is atmospherics of the settlement issue thinking, has ebbed, he said, and known to the public, especially with were unhelpful,” he said. American dependence on Mideast oil regards to future borders and refugees. is at an all-time low. Mead stressed that Israel, he said, made significant Makovsky warned of “overshooting the Israel needs to find new ways to work concessions on the former issue, parties’ red lines” by a US-backed UN with American liberals, and separately, and the Palestinians on the later. He resolution that might seek to set out with conservatives. He raised the admitted that no significant progress definitive parameters for the two-state solution. Instead, he argued for a return to an incremental approach where strategic convergences and interests can be leveraged towards a more stable reality.

Also speaking at the conference were former Israeli ambassador to the US Danny Ayalon, Dr. Amnon Cavari of the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, Avinoam Bar-Yosef of the Jewish People Policy Institute, Dr. Faydra Shapiro of the Jezreel Valley College, and BESA Center associates Maj. Gen. (res.) Yaacov Amidror, Prof. Eytan Gilboa, Prof. Efraim Prof. Walter Russell Mead. Mr. David Makovsky. Ambassador Danny Ayalon. Inbar and Prof. Shmuel Sandler.