Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Israel, US meet to smooth relations under new government

Israel, US meet to smooth relations under new government

Israel and the US sought to smooth relations between their countries Wednesday in the allies' first meeting since Israel's new ultranationalist government, its most right-wing ever, assumed power.
Israel's ceremonial president, Isaac Herzog, hosted National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in Jerusalem a day ahead of Sullivan's expected meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hovering over all of the discussions were the new government's policy changes that directly conflict with President Joe Biden's efforts to improve the lives of Palestinians and hold back Jewish settlement construction in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu's new government, made up of ultranationalists and ultra-Orthodox parties, poses a big quandary for the Biden administration and has laid bare the deep divisions between the US and its top Mideast ally as both countries grapple with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the threat of Israel's archrival Iran.

“You are coming at the right time, as we meet so many challenges together,” Herzog said, addressing Sullivan, who noted that Biden wants to visit Israel again after his first trip as president last summer.

Beneath the niceties lay delicate dynamics, with the agendas of the two nations diverging in important respects.

Netanyahu's coalition government has riled US diplomats from its first days in power with a visit to a Jerusalem holy site by an extremist Cabinet minister and raised concern about expansions of Jewish settlement construction on land claimed by the Palestinians. Netanyahu's Cabinet also is pursuing sweeping changes to Israel's judicial system, drawing fierce criticism from many Israelis. Tens of thousands protested the proposed overhaul last weekend.

Israeli leaders this week meeting with Sullivan and a US Senate delegation have sought to focus on what Netanyahu called, “the potential for tightening cooperation” on Israeli-Arab accords and Iran policy.

But the new government's early moves have vexed Biden's national security team as it seeks to shift attention away from the Middle East and toward rivals like China and Russia.

Israel's careful effort to avoid antagonizing Moscow shadowed the meetings Wednesday as the military confirmed that American equipment stored in Israel had been transferred a few weeks ago, without saying where it had been sent. The statement followed a New York Times report that the US sent the munitions to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia.

The report was a counterpoint to Israel's balance on the Russian invasion. Netanyahu has built a rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Israel has been keen to stay largely on the sidelines of the war so as not to damage its strategic relationship with the Kremlin. Russia has troops stationed in Syria, a frequent target of Israeli airstrikes.

Israel has sent humanitarian aid to Ukraine but it has refused Kyiv’s frequent requests to send air defense systems and other military equipment. It also has refrained from enforcing strict economic sanctions on Russia and the many Russian-Jewish oligarchs who have second homes in Israel.

But with news of Moscow’s deepening ties with Tehran, pressure is growing on Israel to back Ukraine in the grinding war.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×