U.S. President Donald Trump receives Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on Feb. 4, 2025. (Credit: Andrew Caballero-Reynold/AFP)
Since the Hamas-led attack in October 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pursued a sharp military escalation, directly targeting Iran and its regional allies. This offensive posture — now Tel Aviv’s strategic baseline — has created a growing dilemma for Washington.On one hand, the historic U.S.-Israel alliance ties Washington closely to Israeli policy. On the other, the Biden administration has struggled to rein in Netanyahu’s unilateral moves, at times appearing either powerless or tacitly complicit.The central question: How does Washington assess Israel’s trajectory — and to what extent is it attempting, however awkwardly, to influence it? A shifting US strategy in Gaza All or nothing: The new US strategy in Gaza Strategic drift since IraqSince the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Washington’s Middle East policy has...
Since the Hamas-led attack in October 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pursued a sharp military escalation, directly targeting Iran and its regional allies. This offensive posture — now Tel Aviv’s strategic baseline — has created a growing dilemma for Washington.On one hand, the historic U.S.-Israel alliance ties Washington closely to Israeli policy. On the other, the Biden administration has struggled to rein in Netanyahu’s unilateral moves, at times appearing either powerless or tacitly complicit.The central question: How does Washington assess Israel’s trajectory — and to what extent is it attempting, however awkwardly, to influence it? A shifting US strategy in Gaza All or nothing: The new US strategy in Gaza Strategic drift since IraqSince the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, Washington’s Middle East...
