By Zhang Yanyang
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been faced with pressure both at home and abroad, notably from the United States, but analysts said the apparent political disparity with the Obama administration was unlikely to cloud the alliance between the two countries.
Facing heavy resistance, Netanyahu Wednesday successfully pulled through negotiations over the country's budget and the economic framework aimed at pulling it out of the global financial crisis.
"There is nothing unexpected in the budget discussions," Gerald Steinberg of the Political Studies Department Chair at Bar Ilan University told Xinhua in a telephone interview, adding that the issues under discussion were quite routine.
The proposed budget faced a lot of opposition as it included unpopular cuts on education, welfare and health. In the end, the 2009-2010 budget that was approved on Wednesday by Israeli cabinet involved an across-the-board cut at all government ministries.
Steinberg noted that perceived tensions with US President Barack Obama's administration were also blown out of proportion.
"I certainly would not say that the situation is in a conflict phase," Steinberg said. "Neither Obama nor Netanyahu would find any benefit in a souring in the alliance between the US and Israel."
"The Obama administration is sending mixed signals but it is all in line with a particular strategy. They want to bring Syria closer to the US and distance Syria from Iran," he said.
"But at the same time they set restrictions on a closer relationship with Syria that involves the need to address terrorism and support against nuclear proliferation," he added.
Steinberg said that Obama's priority remained closer to home, tackling the subprime mortgage crisis on the one hand, and dealing with foreign policy on Afghanistan and Iraq, among others, on the other hand.
Menahem Blondheim, professor of American Studies at Hebrew University, echoed Steinberg's views, saying America hadn't delineated or put together a very clear policy.
"The direction is obvious but it is a little premature to say that there is going to be a showdown," Blondheim said.
"By sending mixed messages, it keeps the Obama administration's options open until it can develop a coherent strategy," he said, noting that such a leeway was especially important to the Obama administration because it tends to see everything interconnected.
Israel is generally portrayed as being heavily dependent on its alliance with the United States and even more so following its 22- day offensive in the Gaza Strip earlier this year, which was heavily criticized by Europe.
The United States, however, also needs Israel.
"Given the very high stakes and tensions in the Middle East, especially between Egypt and the moderate Arab countries on the one side and Iran on the other, Israel is a stable entity that carries a tremendous significance," Blondheim said.
He argued that the historical bond between the United States and Israel went beyond practical and materialistic considerations.
"Foreign policies are ultimately for fulfilling ideologies, ideas and missions, and the two countries share common goals and ideas," Blondheim said, noting that the United States had less of a natural affiliation with other countries in the Middle East.
Palestinian political analyst Khaled Abu Toameh, however, told Xinhua he expected Netanyahu's troubles abroad to pass by less easily than his domestic issues.
"I think the challenges from home are not as serious as the challenges from abroad. At home he has a stable coalition. Despite the bickering over the budget, it finally worked and got passed," Abu Toameh said.
He noted that on the other hand, as far as their aspirations of the Middle East peace process were concerned, the gap between the United States and Israel was still very wide and could lead to a crisis between the Netanyahu government and the Obama administration within the coming weeks or months.
"The question is how far Obama is prepared to go in putting pressure on Netanyahu," Abu Toameh said, noting that it wasn't unthinkable there would be a strain on the relationship between the two countries.
(Xinhua News Agency May 14, 2009)
