US ambassador warns of eroding support for Israel

American support for Israel at risk of ‘eroding’ on both the Right and Left, warns US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew, saying the Israeli government has “some work to do.”

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Support among Americans for the Jewish state is at risk of eroding, warned the U.S. ambassador to Israel, while prodding the Israeli government to take steps to shore up bipartisan support.

Ambassador Jack Lew addressed an economic conference hosted by the Aaron Institute for Economic Policy at Reichman University in Herzliya Tuesday, during which he alluded to political tensions between the Biden administration and Israel during the current war against Hamas.

Without naming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Lew said Israel “does has some work to do” to ensure bipartisan support for Israel in the U.S.

“My view is you try to keep the daylight to a minimum, not look for things that exaggerate how much space there is,” Lew continued.

In a veiled criticism of the Israeli government’s handling of its relationship with the Biden administration in recent months, Lew added that when it comes to Israel fostering support among its allies, the Jewish state “has to do it without questioning the motives of people asking questions. Especially your best friends.”

Among other things, Lew argued Israel has to represent itself more effectively in the court of public opinion in the U.S.

“The images in America are brutal. There are enemies of Israel that are actively telling the story in a very negative way.”

Failure to change course could lead to weakening support for Israel on both the American Left and Right, Lew claimed.

“There are risks in both the Right and the Left, of erosion on the margins, that only makes it more important for there to be bipartisan support.”

“In the context of an America which is increasingly polarized, it’s harder to have bipartisan support,” Lew continued.

“It’s critical that [Israel] not become a partisan issue in the United States.”

“I think it’s important for the Government of Israel to promote bipartisan support and not to allow it to become a polarizing issue.”

Biden AdministrationJack LewU.S.-Israel relations