Israel and the United States: An Opportunity to Strengthen the Special Relationship | iNSS

Tensions and contradictions marked some of the foreign policy positions articulated by Trump during the campaign, and his precise policy vis-à-vis Israel is likewise difficult to define. What is clear, however, is that Trump’s very election, as well as the administration he will form, reflects change more than it does continuity. Under these circumstances, Israel now has the opportunity to begin a new chapter in its relations with the US. Therefore, when Prime Minister Netanyahu is invited to the White House in the coming months, he would do well to attempt to reach understandings with the new president regarding six fundamental issues: the need to reestablish the mutual sense of trust between the US administration and the Israeli government; US leadership in the Middle East; Iran – the most important strategic issue on the agenda; the crisis in Syria; the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and the security of Israel, which as a fundamental component of US-Israel relations, should therefore be affirmed and bolstered.