Biden and his administration have been stepping up their criticism of Netanyahu’s government not only over the judicial reforms but also on issues such as the expansion of Israeli settlements, said Nimrod Goren, senior fellow for Israeli affairs with the Middle East Institute, a nonprofit think tank based in Washington.
“It’s clear that Biden wants to see regional stability maintained,” Goren said in a phone interview from Israel. “But It's also clear that he's concerned about the state of democracy in Israel. That is a pillar in the special relationship between Israel and the U.S.”
The Biden administration has been taking atypical steps in its relationship with Israel, Goren said, citing the decision to summon Mike Herzog, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., to the State Department last week to relay concerns over Israel’s passage of a law that would allow the resettlement of areas of the northern West Bank.
That meeting and Biden’s decision to raise concerns about the state of democracy in Israel illustrate that, despite their decades of friendship, there remains “a big gap” between Biden and Netanyahu.
“Biden is first and foremost a true friend of Israel,” he said. “It's not about the personal connection to Netanyahu, but rather his commitment to the well-being of the State of Israel.”