March 25, 2015

U.S. rift with Israel roils the 2016 presidential field

Featuring: Ilan Goldenberg

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush on Tuesday disavowed criticism of Israel levied by longtime family counselor and former secretary of state James A. Baker — laying bare a problem faced by the entire 2016 presidential field.

Israel, and U.S. policy toward it, has become an intensely partisan issue with serious implications for Jewish voters, campaign fundraising and foreign policy.

For Republicans seeking office, almost any critique of Israel has become taboo. That doesn’t leave much leverage for diplomacy if a Republican wins the White House.

And for presumed Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, the tough line that President Obama is taking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu forces her hand. Clinton is in the awkward spot of appearing to side against Netanyahu or against the president she served as secretary of state.

Read the full article at The Washington Post.

Author

  • Ilan Goldenberg

    Former Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Security Program

    Ilan Goldenberg is the former Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. He is a foreign policy and defense expe...