The U.S.-Israel Relationship Is Broken. Here’s How Eisenkot Could Fix It.

What the report says

The New York Times reports that Gadi Eisenkot, the former Israeli military chief who has been asked to try to assemble a governing coalition, could face an immediate foreign-policy test if he becomes prime minister: repairing a sharply damaged relationship with the United States. The article says former ambassadors, lawmakers and analysts broadly agree that Washington would expect early signs of change, but that the steps needed would be politically risky inside Israel.

Among the measures discussed are a tougher crackdown on violence by extremist Israeli settlers in the West Bank, a halt to further settlement expansion in sensitive areas, and a more visible effort to ease conditions for Palestinians in Gaza by allowing more aid and shelter supplies. Some experts also said a new government would need to show it is moving away from settlement-driven policies and reintroducing the possibility of a Palestinian state, while changing the tone of official messaging to sound more openly committed to peace.

The piece frames these recommendations as a response to worsening U.S.-Israel ties, including growing criticism in the United States over the Gaza war and the broader conflict with Iran. It notes that any Israeli concessions could trigger backlash from Netanyahu and his allies, even as they might help restore bipartisan support in Washington. The article also cites former officials who say Eisenkot would need to build support in Arab capitals before traveling to Washington, in order to show that a real policy shift is underway.