Politics, personalities, perspectives and policies. The first is reflected by the second. The second is shaped by the third and the fourth is the outworking of the third. 

With the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States, internal issues, including the health and economic crises and illegal immigrants were, understandably, high on the agenda. International concerns, including Iran, the Middle East conflicts and trade wars with China needed to be addressed, but, apparently, are not considered priority items. From an Israeli perspective, the issues are more specific and more critical: Will the Biden administration try to renegotiate the disastrous nuclear deal with Iran that endangered Israel and the entire Middle East? What will be the new administration’s position regarding the move of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem? Will the Biden administration attempt to resurrect the dead-and-buried, two-state solution to the Israeli-“Palestinian” conflict? How will the administration relate to the anti-Israel bias of the United Nations and to its organizations, such as UNRWA and UNESCO? Will the new President continue the warm relations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (“Bibi”) Netanyahu that existed under the Trump administration?

The answers were not long in coming, as a cold shoulder stretched across 9,490 kilometers (5,897 miles), causing Israel to start to look for a diplomatic winter coat. Biden spent 8 years as Vice-President in the Obama administration learning, among other things, how to treat enemies like friends and friends like enemies. 

A well-known singer once sang, in part: “Call me irresponsible, call me unreliable…call me unpredictable”. Netanyahu can add to that, “Call me whatever you want, but  call me!” In another 6 days, it will be a month since the inauguration of Joe Biden as President of the United States. And, unlike Donald Trump whose third phone call after taking office was to the Prime Minister of Israel, Biden still hasn’t picked up the phone to call Netanyahu. Granted, it took Netanyahu a bit of time after the U.S. elections to call Biden and to refer to him as “President-Elect”. But, he didn’t wait long to congratulate him after he was sworn in as President. Is not calling Netanyahu a form of “payback”. Is it an attempt to politicize Irving Berlin’s “Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)” from the Broadway musical Annie Get Your Gun? Is it a case of “monkey see, monkey do”? 

Back on 10th February, Danny Danon, Chairman of the World Likud, the global arm of Netanyahu’s party, expressed what many wanted to say, but who didn’t have the platform from which to say it. He tweeted a message to Biden, listing ten countries to whose leaders he placed long-distance phone calls (without reversing the charges). Then he added: “Might it now be time to call the leader of #Israel, the closest ally of the #US? The PM’s number is: 972-2-6705555”. That number, by the way, will get to the Prime Minister’s office, but not to the him personally. Netanyahu, being ever the astute politician, tried to downplay Biden’s failure to call him, saying that he expected a call from him “soon”, adding: “He is making calls to world leaders according to the order he sees fit. He has not reached the Middle East yet. The Israel-US alliance is strong and so is our friendship of almost 40 years, though we may not agree on everything.” Unfortunately, there are a few concerns with Netanyahu’s statement. First, Biden has by-passed the Middle East, by calling India (much further East than Israel), South Korea (much further East than India) and Russia (due north of Israel), not to mention Australia, which is way down under on the other side of the world. Second, the Israel-US alliance “was strong” and its strength is now being tested. Third, the strong “friendship (between Biden and Bibi) of almost 40 years” has little to show for it, when viewed from a legislative perspective and when the question is asked: “What have you done for me lately?” As one former statement Middle East analyst stated, in reply to the tweet of Danny Danon: “A call will come. But a clear message is being sent…To quote Dorothy, we’re not in Kansas anymore.”

The close relationship that Netanyahu built with Trump and his administration over four years, resulted in moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem and the Golan Heights and removing U.S. opposition to Israeli settlement activity in Judea and Samaria, among other things. Add to them the major role that Nikki Haley played in presenting a very pro-Israeli position in the U.N. as the representative of the U.S., who knew how to silence countries which were/are blatantly anti-Israel. In short, in one-tenth of the time of the alleged friendship between Biden and Netanyahu, there was a favorable reversal of U.S. policy vis-a-vis Israeli interests. Now, we are being thrown back to the politics, personalities, perspectives and policies of the Obama era. Some of the political appointments that Biden has already made prompted the Zionist Organization of America to set up a special “Joe Biden’s Hostile-to-Israel Appointments” section on its web page. If Biden is going to trust them for advice and guidance, should we be foolish enough to trust him? 

All this in less than a month of the new U.S. administration’s taking office. Undoubtedly, many are thrilled that Trump is no longer in office. But, looking at the situation from this side of the Pond and from a distance of a 12-hour plane trip, we could rightfully ask whether this is really a “new” administration, or simply a cleverly-disguised third term of Biden’s former boss. Time will tell.

In the meantime, Israel should finally understand that the players in the international political arena change with seasons and elections. We should never build our hopes on the frailties of political power that can be gone with the wind. Our reliance should be on One Who changes not, Who never disappoints, Who wants us to call upon Him because He longs to be gracious to us.

“Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, put your trust in the LORD your God and you will be established. Put your trust in His prophets and succeed.” (2 Chronicles 20:20)

O Israel, trust in the LORD; He is their help and their shield. (Psalm 115:9)

God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it good? (Number 23:19)

May the Lord protect you from all evil and guard your going out and your coming in.

Have a God-honoring week.

Bless, be blessed and be a blessing.

Marvin