The Bottom Line

Why is the US worried about Israel’s new government?

President Joe Biden is sending his top diplomats to meet with Israeli officials in quick succession.

When the newly formed Israeli government announced that it wanted to change the way courts work in Israel, alarm bells rang in Washington.

In places where court decisions may be vetoed by politicians, it is taken as a sign that a country is becoming less democratic, like Hungary.

University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole tells host Steve Clemons that although nothing will fundamentally shift in the United States-Israel relationship, Democratic Party leaders would prefer it if Israel had more “shared values” with the US to justify the high levels of Washington’s support.