Little in the Middle East is going America’s way. Iran’s uranium enrichment is approaching weapons grade, Beijing is brokering deals between Tehran and Riyadh, and the Arab League has welcomed Syria’s brutal Bashar al-Assad back into the fold. At a time like this, one would think the U.S. would be working hand in glove with one of its last steady allies in the region: Israel. A recent trip to the Jewish state revealed this isn’t the case.
There’s no shortage of issues primed for cooperation. Jerusalem is concerned about Iran’s nuclear enrichment and well-equipped proxy armies. Those items should also worry Washington, and working on them together could lead to deeper engagement on such issues as the burgeoning Russia-Iran arms trade and China’s regional influence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly hopes that China’s Middle East maneuvers will force President Biden to tend to the region better.