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Israel's Diplomacy Is Moving from Strength to Strength

(American Interest) Walter Russell Mead - In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Israel's diplomacy is moving from strength to strength. Even among people who hate it, Israel's prestige has grown. Netanyahu has a practical relationship with Putin; they work together where their interests permit and where their interests clash, Putin respects Israel's red lines. Netanyahu understands how the world works. He believes that in the harsh world of international politics, power wisely used matters more than good intentions eloquently phrased. The value of Israeli power to a Sunni world worried about Iran has led to something close to a revolution in Israel's regional position. Israel's neighbors may not like Netanyahu, but they believe they can count on him. In Asia, Israel has stronger, deeper relationships with India, China and Japan than at any time in the past, and Asia may well replace Europe as Israel's primary trade and investment partner as these relationships develop. The marginalization of Abbas at the UN reflects a global perception that the Sunni Arab states overall are less powerful than they used to be and that they care less about the Palestinian issue than they used to. This is why African countries that used to shun Israel as a result of Arab pressure are now happy to engage with Israel on a variety of economic and defense issues. The writer is professor of foreign affairs and humanities at Bard College and professor of American foreign policy at Yale University.
2016-09-26 00:00:00
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