American Jews hope Benjamin Netanyahu’s DC visit boosts bipartisan support for Israel - interview

Many American Jews hope that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington DC will yield increased bipartisan support for Israel and a strengthened narrative about the defensive war with Hamas, Orthodox Union executive vice president Rabbi Moshe Hauer told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.

“There is a need to shore up the bipartisan consensus around Israel,” said Hauer. “This is a very fraught time in terms of partisanship.”

The American election season was replete with highly charged rhetoric, and while there has been hope that unity would become a focus of discussion following the assassination attempt on Republican candidate former president Donald Trump, Hauer said that this sentiment was not long-lived.

With the dropping out of US President Joe Biden in favor of Vice President Kamal Harris, Hauer said it was of critical importance to shore up consensus on Israel because there was a new Democratic candidate.

“While some see Netanyahu as a polarizing figure, this is an opportunity that he could seize,” said Hauer, as he could further bring together Democrats and Republicans for Israel’s security and safety.

While America’s friendship with Israel has long been bipartisan, Hauer noted that “The narrative of Israel in many quarters of this country and the world, is hurting in many ways.”

Efforts to counter oppression narrative

Many youths had bought into the oppression narrative, making it difficult to explain Israel’s right to self-defense.“The US remains remarkably supportive but the world has always been much more hostile,” said Hauer.

Netanyahu’s visit comes after yet another international body has condemned Israel, with the International Court of Justice’s Friday advisory opinion that Israel was illegally occupying the West Bank and that its control had to come to an end. Such reports demonstrated a need for an articulate spokesperson for Israel’s cause.

Netanyahu has to restore the Israeli narrative of self-defense, and emphasize the justness of the war, said Hauer. The IDF wasn’t perfect and had made mistakes during combat, but was fighting with morality contrary to Hamas.

“There are many who are optimistic and hopeful and see this as a great opportunity,” said Hauer, while also emphasizing that “There’s no one voice of the community.”

Since October 7, a significant mass of the American Jewish community has been strongly supportive of Israel and the need to defeat Hamas, said Hauer. While a handful of rabbis issuing a letter critical of Israel might capture headlines, this was far from reflective of the community.

Hauer expressed concern about the planned mass anti-Israel protests against Netanyahu’s visit, hoping that they do not escalate into a greater problem.