Subtle US messages fall on Netanyahu and Israel’s deaf ears

The USS Theordore Roosevelt redeploys to the Indo-Pacific. Credit: US Navy

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A US decision to dial back its reinforced military presence in the Middle East suggests that America’s commitment to defend Israel could be less ironclad than the Biden administration would like the world to believe.

The United States has not officially framed its decision to redeploy the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier to the Indo-Pacific after several weeks in the Middle East as a subtle message to Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu that US support is not unconditional.

Nor has the US suggested that the withdrawal constitutes a warning to Israel not to escalate tension with Iran and/or Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shiite militia.

As a result, any suggestion that there is more than meets the eye to the withdrawal of the Theodore Roosevelt amounts to reading tea leaves.

Even so, earlier this month, some US officials privately suggested that the drawdown of forces could pressure Mr. Netanyahu to be more flexible in US-Qatar-Egypt-mediated Gaza ceasefire talks.