Washington, D.C
Can the U.S.–Israel Alliance Survive America’s Political Divide? It Depends on Israel, Too
In recent years, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a strategic bet: Republicans would be the more reliable partner and investing in them would be safer than trying to maintain a shrinking Democratic consensus.
This assumption proved correct in the short term. Republican support, especially under the Trump administration, remained consistent. At the same time, engagement with Democratic constituencies became more difficult and politically costly. These constituencies included American Reform and Conservative Jews who were put off by Netanyahu’s reliance on Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox partners.
Closer alignment with one party deepened the partisan divide and now threatens the U.S.–Israel alliance.
However, that strategy created a long-term risk. Closer alignment with one party deepened the partisan divide and now threatens the U.S.–Israel alliance. This issue is no longer theoretical. Israel is heading toward elections this fall. The outcome will shape its U.S. strategy and influence U.S. policy toward Israel.
If the current approach continues, Israel will deepen its reliance on Republicans and further limit engagement with Democrats. This may remain sustainable in the short term, but it increases long-term risk.
A different coalition, based on today’s opposition and less dependent on Orthodox parties, could restore bipartisan engagement and rebuild ties with Democratic lawmakers, institutions, younger audiences, and liberal American Jewish communities. These communities still largely align with the Democratic Party, despite some shift after the October 7, 2023, attack and the wave of antisemitism that followed. Even then, change will be gradual. The erosion of support among Democrats reflects deeper ideological shifts that no Israeli government can quickly reverse.
U.S. security aid, once a pillar of the alliance, is now politically contested. Within segments of the Democratic Party, opposition to aid now signals progressive credibility.
Netanyahu has suggested that Israel could phase out its reliance on U.S. aid. He argues that Israel’s economic strength allows it, especially if continued aid damages public support in the United States. This reflects a broader logic: reducing dependency may help preserve the alliance’s political sustainability.
Some in Washington argue that tensions stem mainly from Netanyahu and will ease after he leaves office. This view is only partly correct.
On core issues—Iran, deterrence, and skepticism toward Palestinian statehood under current conditions—there is broad consensus across Israel’s political spectrum. A future prime minister is unlikely to change these positions in any meaningful way.
Where change could occur is in the political approach. A different leadership may invest more in bipartisan engagement and avoid alignment with one U.S. party. The policy will remain similar, but the political strategy may differ.
If bipartisan support in Washington continues to erode, Israel will expand its room for maneuver.
Israeli leaders also recognize that not the entire shift in American attitudes is organic. External actors amplify anti-Israel narratives. These include Iran, Qatar, Russia, and China. They exploit existing divisions in Western societies. This means the trajectory of the alliance depends on not only domestic politics, but also geopolitical competition.
At the same time, Israel is working to reduce certain dependencies on the United States. This includes aid, military supplies, and technologies. A more self-reliant Israel is also a more independent Israel.
Israel has shown that it can act pragmatically with other powers, including Russia and, to a more limited extent, China, when its interests require. If bipartisan support in Washington continues to erode, Israel will expand its room for maneuver. This does not mean a strategic shift away from the United States, but it does mean that a weakened alliance reduces U.S. influence and creates opportunities for competitors.
In the United States, the question is whether support for Israel remains a bipartisan strategic interest or becomes a partisan identity issue. In Israel, the question is whether leaders treat bipartisan support and ties with American Jewry as strategic assets that require continuous investment.
The alliance is resilient. But for the first time in decades, its main challenge comes from internal political dynamics on both sides. Preserving it will require deliberate choices not only in Washington, but also in Jerusalem.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — A Texas man accused of shooting at a United States Secret Service agent near the Washington Monument earlier this month has been indicted on federal charges, the Justice Department announced Friday.
A federal grand jury indicted 45-year-old Michael Marx with “assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers using a dangerous weapon” and “using, carrying, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence,” in connection with the May 4 incident, in which a stray bullet struck a teenage bystander.
“Today’s indictment reflects the gravity of the defendant’s actions on one of the most heavily visited public spaces in the nation,” U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Friday, in part. “The evidence shows Marx not only carried an illegal firearm into DC, but he fired it at uniformed officers, wounding an innocent teenage bystander who was simply visiting the National Mall with his family on a spring afternoon.”
Authorities previously charged Marx with assaulting federal officers with a dangerous weapon, using and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, an undercover Secret Service agent initially noticed Marx trying to conceal a gun on the right side of his body near 15th Street and Madison Drive NW shortly after 3:30 p.m. on the afternoon of the shooting.
At the same time, the motorcade for Vice President J.D. Vance was leaving the White House, passing through the area just up the street.
Uniformed Secret Service officers arrived to provide backup, finding Marx along the path of Vance’s motorcade. The attorney’s office said officers began to give the Texas man verbal commands, but he started running through a crosswalk and eventually fired at one of the agents as he reached the sidewalk.
The bullet struck the teenage bystander, who was walking behind the agent, in the leg, according to the DOJ.
Agents quickly returned fire, striking Marx in the hand, left arm, and upper body, according to court documents.
Court documents state that agents used Marx’s Texas driver’s license, which he was carrying, to identify him as the gunman. Investigators also identified various aliases Marx allegedly went by, including Patrick Michael and Michael Zavici.
While in the hospital, he allegedly made statements to officers, including ”F— the White House,” and “kill me, kill me, kill me,” the DOJ noted in a release.
Police found a Sig Sauer P365 handgun loaded with 9mm ammunition from the street where Marx fell.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Abundant sunshine
- Temps slightly cooler than average
- No rain in sight — again
- Mid-week warmup
May is drawing to a dry, comfortable close, in stunning contrast to the very soggy Memorial Day weather we saw last weekend.
That 10-day stretch of rain put a definite dent in our drought, according to the weekly national drought monitor, but it seems that was the end of the improvement for a while: There’s almost no clouds in sight for the DMV for several days.
Enjoy the many hours of sunshine on Saturday. The high pressure coming in from the Hudson Bay brings a stiff north wind, but the day will also be sunny and comfortable, with highs in the mid 70s.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
The wind will die down after dark, and Sunday morning will be bordering on chilly. Expect widespread mid/upper 40s in most of the D.C. area, with urban centers and bayside communities staying just above 50°. Sunday afternoon will be just a bit warmer, in the mid 70s, but with far less of a breeze.
Highs will be back around 80° for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, with overnight lows in the comfy 50s. It’ll be a perfect start to meteorological summer (June/July/August).
QuickCast
TODAY:
Sunshine Abounds, Breezy
Wind: North 10-15mph, Gust to 25 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 70° to 75°
TONIGHT:
Clear Skies
Winds Diminish
Wind: Northwest 10-15 mph
Chance Of Rain: 0%
LOWS: 46° to 54°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Sunny Skies
Pleasant Conditions
Light Breeze
Wind: NW 5 – 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 70° to 76°
MONDAY:
Partly Cloudy
Seasonable
Light Breeze
Wind: West/Northwest 10 mph
Chance of Rain: 0%
HIGHS: 76° to 82°
Sunrise: 5:45 Sunset: 8:26
Average High: 80° Average Low: 63°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
WASHINGTON – A man is in critical condition after falling into the Anacostia River in Southwestern Washington, D.C., Friday night.
What we know:
D.C. Fire and EMS reported the rescue effort shortly after 10 p.m. at James Creek Marina in Buzzard Point.
Crews believe a man fell from the dock into the water.
By 10:30 p.m., crews were able to pull the man out of the water.
Paramedics took him to the hospital in critical condition.
What we don’t know:
Officials did not identify the man who was rescued. No other information was immediately available.
The Source: Information in this story is from the D.C. Fire and EMS Department.
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