The Israel That Can Say 'No'

According to conventional wisdom, the deterioration of US-Israeli relations is the result of personal animosity between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Barack Obama. But ill-will is more of a symptom than a cause. In fact, the increased friction reflects a new Israeli grand strategy. Rather than seeking to minimize differences with the United States over Iran and Palestine, as previous Israeli governments had done, Netanyahu has worked to diversify Israel's international partnerships, cultivating new friends - from India to China to Saudi Arabia - so that Israel is less dependent on the United States.

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