Barack Obama

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with U.S. President Joe Biden in Tel Aviv, October 18, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Deceive, defy, and defer: Netanyahu’s time-tested strategy to outmaneuver Biden

For 15 years, the Israeli prime minister has proven his ability to scuttle political agreements — while never losing the United States’ backing.

By Lev Grinberg July 16, 2024

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the annual CyberTech conference, March 3, 3022. (Tomer Neuberg/FLASH90)

Netanyahu’s last stand

The ex-prime minister's new autobiography shows how his worldview became the common denominator in Israeli politics. That may also prove his downfall.

By Noam Sheizaf October 30, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden boarding Air Force One after a farewell ceremony in his honor at Ben Gurion Airport, July 15, 2022. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

To replace US hegemony, Biden blesses a marriage of apartheid and autocracy

Israeli-Saudi normalization is at the crux of a new regional order, speaking the language of ‘peace’ at the price of people like Khashoggi and Abu Akleh.

By Iyad el-Baghdadi July 20, 2022

Latest

Noam Chomsky at the University of Toronto, April 7, 2011. (Andrew Rusk/Flickr)

Noam Chomsky: Solidarity movements key to changing US Middle East policy

From nuclear disarmament to Palestinian rights, Noam Chomsky discusses the need to disrupt authoritarian alliances and an entrenching 'Greater Israel.'

By Lilach Ben David February 17, 2021

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the prime minister's visit to the White House, Washington DC, February 15, 2017. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

How Trump and Netanyahu made American antisemitism come alive

For four years, Netanyahu has equated Jews with the Israeli government, while Trump has made common cause with white nationalists. I wish more Israelis understood why this was so terrifying.

By Libby Lenkinski November 18, 2020

Illustrative photo of Israeli Border Police officers guarding a settlement in the West Bank city of Hebron. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

America’s long history of tolerating Israel’s illegal expansion

The U.S. has never treated Israeli settlements as illegal, as expansion continues with little resistance from Washington. Still, Pompeo’s declaration will likely become the new normal.

By Mitchell Plitnick November 20, 2019

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents files that he says prove the existence of Iran's nuclear program, during a press conference at the Kirya defense headquarters in Tel Aviv, April 30, 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Not so fast, Bibi: Why new sanctions won’t bring down the Islamic Republic

President Trump’s new sanctions on Iran were widely praised by Netanyahu and the media. But they may not bring about the outcome so desired by the Israeli leader and his followers. By Shemuel Meir President Trump’s recent declaration on the renewal of the oil and finance sanctions on Iran were greeted with great enthusiasm by Israeli…

By +972 Magazine November 25, 2018

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after giving final remarks at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem before Trump's departure, May 23, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

In Netanyahu’s eyes, Trump can do no wrong

Netanyahu loves Donald Trump as president so much that he is willing to overlook anything — even tacit support for white supremacists. By Mitchell Plitnick “This is bonkers. Israel’s government says don’t overreact to neo-Nazis in the U.S. because it could hurt relations with Trump. Totally insane.” So said Dr. Brian Klaas, a Fellow in Comparative…

By +972 Magazine August 23, 2017

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. (State Dept. Photo)

Kerry’s parameters force Israel to take a hard look in the mirror

John Kerry’s speech this week clearly and rationally explained why the status quo will not enable Israel to maintain its Jewish and democratic character. Are Israelis paying attention? By Elie Podeh and Nimrod Goren Throughout 2016, analysts were wondering what – if at all – will be President Obama’s final move regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The options discussed…

By +972 Magazine December 31, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry listens as European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini addresses reporters on July 18, 2016. (Wiki Commons)

U.S. abstention is a message to Europe: End Israel’s impunity

The U.S. essentially admitted that its unyielding defense of Israel in the diplomatic arena was a disastrous strategy. With Obama bowing out, Europe will need to act on this lesson. Shortly after the UN Security Council passed its resolution criticizing Israeli settlements on Friday, the U.S. State Department issued a press statement by John Kerry…

By Amjad Iraqi December 25, 2016

Young Jewish men pray at the Jewish settlement outpost of Amona in the West Bank, December 16, 2016. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

The world is trying to save Israel from itself. Will we listen?

As much as the the Right may deny it, the world is sending Israelis a clear message: the settlements are illegal and immoral. The faster we listen, the better off we will be. By Alon Mizrahi Let’s talk about the issue itself. The issue is not Israel’s reputation, not its legal status, nor the behavior of its…

By +972 Magazine December 24, 2016

The UN Security Council votes to pass Resolution 2334, condemning Israeli settlements, 14-0, December 23, 2016. (Loey Felipe/UN Photo)

The Left should stop bickering and support Obama’s abstention

Everyone knew that abstention from the Security Council’s anti-settlement resolution was one of the more realistic options on a very limited menu. So why is the Left now up in arms? U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power barely got the word “abstain” out of her mouth before the liberal left ripped into the…

By Dahlia Scheindlin December 24, 2016

Two Palestinian women walk along Israel’s separation wall in the West Bank village of Abu Dis. (Anna Kaplan/Flash90)

Nearly half of Americans support sanctions on Israel, poll finds

As the Democratic party regroups ahead of the next election cycle, it would be wise for its leadership to examine areas where the Clinton campaign diverged from the party’s base. Israel-Palestine is one of those issues. The number of Americans who support imposing sanctions on Israel over its defiant settlement policies has shot up to…

By Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man December 3, 2016