Middle Path On Israel

 Like, I think, the majority of Americans, I believe that Israel has a right to exist. I believe that there should be a Palestinian state. I believe Hamas committed war crimes on October 7th, and that they have continued to do so. I believe that the IDF has committed war crimes in Gaza, and that they have continued to do so.

I also believe that Netanyahu has made the Likud party in particular and the Israeli Right in general a political ally of the GOP.

Yglesias actually has a proposal that makes sense for whenever Democrats are allowed to govern again. It's unlikely to satisfy extreme partisans on either side of the issue, but it does makes broad political sense. He suggests that we should simply stop giving Israel aid.

Americans have a warped sense of foreign aid. They think it's a massive part of the budget, when it's actually pennies. This makes aid unpopular, and it's why Trump and Musk attacked it first. As with any large program, there were aspects of aid that were weird or problematic, but on the whole, foreign aid is incredibly effective.

However, sending aid to Israel only made sense when Israel was surrounded by enemies intent on its destruction. Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon are largely at peace with Israel. There is at least a possibility that Syria may make peace. That pretty much leaves a diminished Hamas and other Iranian proxies like the Houthi as the only belligerent forces arrayed against a much, much more potent Israeli military.

So, the rationale for giving billions in aid to Israel no longer applies. What's more, the ethical questions of being involved on either side are likely too thorny to untangle in a way that makes sense and satisfies various veto points. Simply withdrawing aid from Israel would divorce us from the entire mess and satisfy those who oppose foreign aid. 

Now, if this is going to happen, it would probably be best if President Shapiro or President Ossoff were to take the lead, but I don't see why that should be a problem. No aid for Israel as long as the Israeli government stands in the way of a two state solution.