Israel’s Friendships

Princeton professor Gary Bass looks at how Israel lost its formerly robust alliance with France in 1967, and what that precedent might indicate for the current chilling of the country’s relations with the Obama Administration. “In the same way that many French officials tried to balance France’s relationships in the Middle East after the end of the Algerian war, Mr. Obama undoubtedly hopes that he can reach out to the Arab world without damaging ties with Israel. But this history suggests that Mr. Netanyahu would be wise to ease the strain on the alliance before any words are uttered that cannot be unsaid,” writes Bass.