The Global Story:Is the US falling out of love with Israel?
6/28/202628 min
The United States has been a staunch ally of Israel for decades, and Americans used to be steadfast in their support for the country. But in recent years - and recent weeks - the special relationship between the two counties has come under fire.
Several polls indicate that Americans have increasingly negative views of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. And as the midterms approach, support for Israel is on the ballot in some races.
Asma briefs Tristan on shifting US public and political opinion on Israel. And Jon Donnison discusses how fluctuating US sentiment on Israel is affecting domestic Israeli politics.
The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAsma Khalid· Host0:00
Hey there, it's Asma Khalid, one of the hosts of The Global Story podcast from the BBC. Our show dives deep each day on one big story that looks at where the world and America meet. And as a bonus for your feed, we're bringing you one of our very best episodes of this past week. Now, I've covered US politics for a long, long time, and until recently, one of the certainties here in Washington was steadfast bipartisan support for Israel. But in recent years, we've seen that waver, both on the left and, to some degree, on the right. With the midterms coming up in the US and an election due in Israel, we look into the origins and implications of this major political shift with the views from both Washington and Jerusalem. And by the way, if you do enjoy this episode, then I should mention that you all ought to check out more from our latest episodes. This week, we looked at the political chaos in the UK 10 years on from Brexit. We also asked why the US has cut funding to AIDS programs in South Africa, and we dug into the phenomenon of young girls obsessed with anti-aging skincare products. You can find those and a whole lot more by searching for The Global Story wherever you get your podcasts. Now, onto today's show.
Tristan Redmond· Host1:16
The idea that the United States is a staunch supporter and ally of Israel has been a political truth for decades, whether you're a Republican or a Democrat.
Rahm Emanuel· Soundbite1:27
America has never flinched from its commitment