Israel’s decadeslong reliance on bipartisan American support is crumbling, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bears a substantial share of the responsibility. That is the central argument of Mark Lavie’s pointed assessment of the Democratic midterm victories, which he warns could leave Israel and American Jews facing an increasingly hostile political landscape.
The trouble, Lavie argues, began well before the latest elections. Netanyahu’s 2015 speech to Congress opposing President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear agreement marked a damaging break with bipartisan tradition. His subsequent embrace of President Donald Trump and confrontations with President Joe Biden deepened the divide, alienating Democrats who had historically supported Israel.
The consequences are now visible across the political spectrum. In Michigan, Abdul El-Sayed became the first Muslim elected to the US Senate, benefiting from growing anti-Israel sentiment. Democratic candidates elsewhere increasingly advocate restricting military assistance to Israel, while some Republicans favor replacing traditional aid with other forms of cooperation.
Yet Netanyahu’s political choices are only part of the problem. Lavie argues that the prolonged Gaza war, West Bank settler violence, and extremist voices in Israel’s government have strengthened an already powerful anti-Israel movement. He also accuses Qatar-backed Islamist networks of spreading antisemitic propaganda, a threat he believes American Jewish organizations have failed to confront adequately.
His proposed response is anything but passive.
Israel, he writes, must consider international opinion when making security decisions, establish a cabinet-level strategic policy ministry, and at least embrace the principle of Palestinian statehood to weaken diplomatic attacks against it.
American Jewish organizations, meanwhile, should abandon partisan alignments, engage newly elected representatives regardless of their positions, and challenge anti-Israel messaging through lawful, organized counterdemonstrations and public advocacy.
The full opinion piece offers a provocative examination of how Israel’s political leadership and American Jewish institutions contributed to their current predicament—and why simply condemning hostile politicians will accomplish little.
Lavie’s concluding argument is that Israel can no longer make decisions without considering their consequences for Jewish communities abroad. He calls for coordinated action, renewed political engagement, and a willingness to change course before bipartisan support deteriorates further.
The warning from Lavie is unmistakable: Israel and American Jews must rethink their strategies together, because the political protection they once took for granted can no longer be assumed.