As if relations between Israel and the US were not strained enough, Israel has refused to join the US in condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea. While Israel’s decision to turn its back on its most important ally is risky, it is not surprising, given that the US lacks an effective policy toward Russia's presence in the Middle East.
TEL AVIV – As if relations between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government and US President Barack Obama’s administration were not strained enough, Israel has refused to join the United States and its other allies in condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea. But that decision, though risky, is not altogether surprising: The US, after all, lacks an effective policy toward Russia’s presence in the Middle East, making it difficult for countries like Israel to stand up to the Kremlin.
TEL AVIV – As if relations between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s government and US President Barack Obama’s administration were not strained enough, Israel has refused to join the United States and its other allies in condemning Russia’s annexation of Crimea. But that decision, though risky, is not altogether surprising: The US, after all, lacks an effective policy toward Russia’s presence in the Middle East, making it difficult for countries like Israel to stand up to the Kremlin.