Israel has become a defining issue for Biden’s political legacy

It has become increasingly clear that President Joe Biden’s legacy will not be defined solely by his domestic policies, but also by whether he stands up for global democracy, or hastens its retreat.

Throughout his presidency, Biden has found himself at the center of the global struggle between democratic and autocratic forces, and has, in many respects met the moment. For starters, he defeated Donald Trump, whose authoritarian tendencies threatened U.S. institutions and values. 

He also rallied Western nations to defend Ukraine, sending a clear message to Russia and all U.S. adversaries that America will not waver when democracy is under attack. The Biden administration thus far has committed over $50 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, and the president himself made a historic visit to Kyiv, an active war zone, to reinforce America’s commitment to a Ukrainian victory. 

But Biden has also faltered, most notably with the botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s subsequent victory, which has had a destabilizing effect on the Middle East. 

Biden is now faced with another legacy-defining foreign policy test. The far-right government of Israel, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is attempting to radically reform the country’s judicial system in a way that would undermine the independence and integrity of the courts. 

Many worry that this is the beginning of Israel’s slide toward autocracy. This view is prevalent on the U.S. political left, whose support for Israel has been waning for years, and is now pressuring Biden to take a strong stance against the Jewish State. This position is not only dangerous, given Israel’s strategic importance, but also overlooks the ways in which democracy there is in fact alive and well.  

In the country of 9 million, hundreds of thousands of Israelis gathered for weeks to protest the undemocratic reforms. Labor unions shut down the only international airport. Diplomats around the world closed embassies. Perhaps most remarkably, groups of reservists in the Israeli Defense Forces — the backbone of Israel’s national security — refused call-up orders, and soldiers in elite units threatened to quit if the reforms passed. 

It is critical to note that the resistance is being led by Israel’s political center, which is not calling for war or violence — rather, for a dialogue to root out the “MAGA-like” forces taking root in their country. That is not autocracy, that is democracy at work. 

Further, in a true autocracy, protests usually turn militant and violent. In Israel — a country where military service is mandatory for many, and thus where many citizens have military training — the demonstrations have been largely peaceful. This is a far cry from any autocracy, and even our own country, where just two years ago, far-right forces attempted an insurrection that turned deadly. 

There simply isn’t a time in modern history when Americans have displayed such strong unity or a commitment to defending democratic ideals — and it worked, for now. Netanyahu blinked, agreeing to halt the reforms until the next parliamentary session at the end of the month.  

Following Netanyahu’s capitulation, Biden inserted himself into the debate. 

“Like many strong supporters of Israel, I’m very concerned. And I’m concerned that they get this straight. They cannot continue down this road. And I’ve sort of made that clear. Hopefully, the prime minister will act in a way that he can try to work out some genuine compromise, but that remains to be seen,” the president said. 

While Biden’s concerns are legitimate, his tone was a break from how American presidents and Israeli prime ministers have historically aired their disagreements. Prior to this week, the White House had been following the more traditional course of quietly conveying to Jerusalem its trepidation over the growing power of far-right ministers. 

Rather than condemning Israel’s government, Biden should have acknowledged that, despite his disagreements with the current government, Israel’s democracy holds strong, as evidenced by the historic rising up of Israeli society to peacefully defend the values that both our countries hold dear. 

Biden, who has a four-decade-long relationship with Netanyahu, understands the immense weight that the American president’s words carry with respect to Israel. 

To Israelis, friendship with the U.S. is essential. In that same vein, both the U.S.’s allies and our enemies hold the American president’s articulation of our foreign policy priorities in high regard — and arguably as instructive, as with Ukraine. 

It is not hyperbole to suggest that a close Israeli-American relationship is vital to preventing the Iranian regime — a true autocracy — from acquiring nuclear weapons, ensuring stability in the Middle East and protecting U.S. and European national security. 

During this turbulent time in Israel, it is crucial that Biden prioritizes realpolitik over politics. He mustn’t cave to the political pressure he is facing from within his own party to denounce Israel forcefully, or worse, to scale back U.S. support for Israel permanently based on resistance to an impermanent government, which could have a cascading effect throughout Europe. 

No democracy is without flaws, including America’s. Israel’s imperfect democracy paved the way for Netanyahu’s far-right government to come to power, just as America’s enabled Donald Trump’s ascendancy in 2016. And just as the American people rejected extremism and took their democracy back by electing Biden and ousting Trump, Israeli society is rising up to do the same. 

This is a defining moment. The future of the U.S.-Israeli relationship hangs in the balance, as does President Joe Biden’s legacy. 

While allies can disagree with one another, I would urge Biden to save his harshest condemnations for the world’s true autocrats in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran, as they, not Israel, deserve the brunt of the American president’s words. 

Douglas E. Schoen is a political consultant who served as an adviser to President Clinton and to the 2020 presidential campaign of Michael Bloomberg. His new book is:  “The End of Democracy? Russia and China on the Rise and America in Retreat.”