Israel losing bipartisan US support, former lawmaker warns

Israel's relationship with the United States has been on a downward trajectory for an extended period, according to Ofer Shelah, a former Member of Knesset for Yesh Atid and a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS).

Shelah stated in a recent interview that the alliance is no longer supported by both major US political parties. He observed that Israel's image in Washington has become that of "the tail wagging the dog." American voters, he noted, are primarily concerned with the war's impact on fuel prices and their own living standards.

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Israel-US relations have been going to a bad place for a very long time. We have stopped being an issue supported by both parties.

The former MK suggested that domestic political pressures, including opposition within President Donald Trump's own Republican Party, compelled him to halt the fighting. Shelah pointed to a Democratic proposal in the House of Representatives that would have required congressional authorization to continue the war after 60 days, which Republicans blocked, fearing a loss.

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No one understands this war, and very few support it, both in the United States and in the Republican Party. So the political reality forced President Trump’s hand.

"No one understands this war, and very few support it, both in the United States and in the Republican Party," Shelah said, explaining that the political reality forced Trump's hand. He predicted that Trump could become "toxic" to both political camps by 2028, making it crucial for Israel to actively prove its value to American interests.

Shelah also commented on the diplomatic track concerning Iran, warning that any agreement lacking concrete and enforceable terms on Iran's nuclear program would be a failure for both Israel and the US. He emphasized that eliminating Iran's nuclear project requires an Iranian decision, and that time continues to favor Iran.

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There is no such thing as eliminating the Iranian nuclear project without an Iranian decision. Time has worked, and continues to work, in Iran’s favor.