In a recent op-ed in Ha’aretz, former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas wrote, “It is not the U.S.’ responsibility, moral duty, or place to alter the authoritarian trajectory of Israel. But it is equally negligent of the Americans to act as if nothing is happening.”
But it very much is the U.S.’ responsibility, morally and pragmatically, to press Israel for change, not internally, but in its total denial of Palestinian rights. While some urge the Biden administration to “use its tools” to effect such change, they don’t specify what those tools are. This piece does, and even though Biden will resist with all his might doing anything at all to press Israel, it is possible to force him to at least use some of those tools.