More than a dozen Republican lawmakers rushed to congratulated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on securing a strong victory in Tuesday’s elections despite the leader’s last-minute abandonment of a two-state solution for the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Netanyahu clinched victory in the final hours of the campaign, just as polls showed that he could lose his position to the center-left Zionist Union party led by rival, Isaac Herzog. Over the weekend, the Prime Minister conducted a frantic series of interviews on Israeli media, warning voters that a win by more liberal parties would endanger Israel’s safety and security. He publicly disavowed the two-state solution in an effort appeal to pro-settlement voters who felt betrayed by his government and then, as voters went to the polls, Netanyahu warned, “The right-wing government is in danger. Arab voters are going to the polls in droves. Left-wing organizations are busing them out.”
He appears to have secured approximately 30 seats in Israel’s Knesset for his Likud party and is expected to form a coalition government in which he will likely remain the nation’s prime minister for a historic fourth term.
But lawmakers who congratulated Netanyahu on social media or through official statements sought to ignore the Israeli leader’s political calculation to walk away from a peace framework that is backed by most Israelis, both political parties in the United States (the solution is included in their platforms), and the international community. In fact, Netanyahu himself publicly supported the establishment of a Palestinian state in 2009 and told Congress two years later that “[Palestinians] should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free, viable and independent people living in their own state. They should enjoy a prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish.”
Potential 2016 presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) issued a statement Tuesday night that ignored the change of heart. Cruz described Netanyahu as “an extraordinary leader for Israel” and congratulated him on his victory. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R), who is also exploring a presidential bid, tweeted, “Congratulations to @netanyahu on a hard-earned victory” and potential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) predicted that the United States will continue to “build on a strong US-Isreal relationship.”
Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) described Netanyahu as “a true leader in a wilderness of turmoil” and Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) tweeted, “I’m pleased to learn that Prime Minister Netanyahu is likely to keep his position.”
Pressed on whether he agrees with Netanyahu’s abandonment of a Palestinian state, Steven Smith, a spokesperson for the Goasr, said that until the Palestinians — including groups like Hamas and Hezbollah — “demonstrate that they can behave rationally, Congressman Gosar supports the position of our allies in Israel. This includes whoever their Prime Minister may be.” A spokesperson for Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC), who also tweeted his support for Netanyahu, said, “The Congressman’s position has always been that he supports Israel’s right as a sovereign nation to broker deals regarding its boundaries and borders. This is something he believes should be decided between the Israeli government and Palestinian leaders, not dictated by outside actors.”
Democrats have remained largely quiet about the results, though a spokesperson for Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) said on Tuesday, “Sen. Brown still supports a peace-process that would lead to a two-state solution.” No other lawmakers responded to ThinkProgress’ request for comment before this article went to print.
Meanwhile, the Obama administration, which has had a thorny relationship with Netanyahu following the Prime Minister’s address to Congress earlier this month and his strong opposition to the negotiations surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, sought to downplay Netanyahu’s two-state reversal.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki claimed on Monday that “there are many things said leading up to elections.” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday afternoon that “the president is confident that he can do that with whomever the Israeli people choose.” Following the elections, David Simas, Deputy Senior Advisor for Communications and Strategy, congratulated the Israeli people “for the Democratic process, for the election” but did not weigh in on its results during an appearance on CNN.
Netanyahu himself appeared to have extended an olive branch to the Arab community in his victory speech Tuesday night. He told a crowd of supporters that his policy priorities “are important to every family, every young couple, every soldier, every citizen of Israel, Jewish and non-Jewish alike,” before adding, “You are all important, and you are all important to me.”
Update:
Jeb Bush also tweeted his support:
Congratulations to Prime Minister @netanyahu on his re-election. He’s a true leader who will continue to keep Israel strong and secure.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) March 18, 2015
Update:
The White House expressed concern about Netanyahu’s divisive rhetoric leading up to his re-election and said that President Obama still believes in a two-state solution. From the AP:
In its first public response to Netanyahu’s triumph in the election, the spokesman said the White House was “deeply concerned” about divisive language emanating from Netanyahu’s Likud Party. White House press secretary Josh Earnest said the party had sought to marginalize Israel’s minority Arab community, an apparent reference to social media posts the Likud distributed that warned Israelis about the danger of high turnout by Arab voters.
“These are views the administration intends to convey directly to the Israelis,” Earnest said.
Update:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) also rebuked Netanyahu for abandoning the two-state solution: “Despite campaign rhetoric, Israel must pursue a negotiated two-state solution with the Palestinians. This is the only way to ensure Israel remains a secure, Jewish, democratic state.”