Biden’s UN Abstention Fuels Friction with Israel

The Biden administration’s decision on Monday to abstain from vetoing a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution advocating for a cease-fire in Gaza is exacerbating tensions in the administration’s relationship with Israel, its closest ally in the region.

Caroline Glick, a prominent expert on American-Israeli relations, criticized the U.S. action at the U.N., stating, “The U.S. action at the U.N. has driven U.S.-Israel relations to a low point in their history and left America’s reputation as a credible ally in ruins.” She added, “Israel is engaged in a multi-front war against Iran and its proxies for its survival. In Tehran, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Jordan, Israel’s enemies saw on Monday that the U.S. has abandoned Israel at the height of the war, effectively adopting Hamas’ positions as its own.”

A State Department spokesperson, approached about the U.N. vote and the state of U.S.-Israel relations, directed inquiries to spokesperson Matthew Miller’s remarks during Monday’s press briefing.

Miller addressed the issue, stating, “The U.N. Security Council resolution that passed today from which the United States abstained, there were … issues with which we had concerns related to that resolution, the fact that it did not condemn Hamas’s terrorist attacks of October 7th; that’s why we didn’t vote for it. But the reason we didn’t veto it is because there were also things in that resolution that were consistent with our long-term position; most importantly, that there should be a cease-fire, and that there should be a release of hostages.”

Israel responded to the U.S.’ decision by canceling a high-level delegation’s trip to Washington, D.C., to address American concerns about Israel’s planned offensive to seize the remaining Hamas-controlled city of Rafah in Gaza, a meeting President Biden had requested.

John Kirby, a White House national security spokesperson, noted, “We get to decide what our policy is. It seems like the Prime Minister’s office is choosing to create a perception of daylight here when they don’t need to do that.”

Critics argue that the Biden administration’s move stems from domestic political concerns, specifically an attempt to court Arab American votes in swing states such as Michigan. Mort Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, condemned the decision, asserting that “Biden is becoming the worst president for Israel ever.”

The strained relationship between the U.S. and Israel has escalated tensions within Israel’s government, with some officials fearing long-term consequences. Amos Harel, a senior military correspondent for Haaretz, reported that “Senior defense officials are very worried about the worsening relations with America and the deterioration in Israel’s international standing.” He added, “Their fear, which is shared by every key officeholder, is that this is the start of a process that will go on for years and be very difficult to stop.”

The situation underscores the complexities of U.S.-Israel relations and the delicate balance between diplomacy and domestic political considerations.