Washington Watch Articles From 2026
It’s Dangerous to Conflate Criticism of Israel with Antisemitism
Does criticizing actions of the Israeli government or the behavior of its prime minister fuel antisemitism? Despite the stretch of logic required to make this argument and the danger its bizarre conflation presents to American Jews, some US pro-Israel organizations are working overtime to establish the case that criticizing Israel puts American Jews at risk. Their view on this matter has now been echoed by Benjamin Netanyahu who, before leaving Israel for his meeting with President Trump, used an interview with an American TV network to level this very charge against New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
US Consensus on Israel Dead
Evidence keeps piling up that the long-claimed bipartisan consensus on US support for Israel is dead. Almost daily there are signs that Israeli behavior and the heavy-handed tactics used by the pro-Israel lobby to browbeat elected officials into unquestioning support for Israel are being rejected not only by Democratic voters but increasingly by elected Democrats as well. Events this past week make this clear.
Rahm Emanuel’s Speech: Not All It Was Hyped to Be
Several observations can be made regarding Rahm Emanuel’s recent speech at Tel Aviv University: what he said and didn’t say, and what impact (if any) his words might have.
Israel’s Out of Control & It’s Not Just Netanyahu
When looking at today’s Middle East, it is important to recognize that Israel is completely out of control, and no one has the will to rein them in.
The Impact on the Many Fronts of This War Will Continue
The costs associated with any war—losses of lives, treasure, and security—are to be expected. And so it is with the US-Israel war on Iran. It was unnecessary. It has been massive. And it has been waged without any clear objective or strategic purpose. Though only a few weeks old, and still too early to project how it will play out, early signs of this war’s costs and consequences are worrisome.