The term "abstention" may sound diplomatically neutral, suggesting a bureaucratic omission. However, the recent decision by the US to abstain from vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution marks a significant shift in history.

This is the first time since October 7 that Washington has allowed the council to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, despite previously vetoing three similar resolutions.

This move underscores the continued deterioration of the US-Israeli relationship, which has long been considered one of the strongest bilateral bonds globally.

That's the take of Bloomberg's columnist Andreas Kluth, who anticipated in December that the rift between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would gradually widen before reaching a sudden breaking point.

Imminent US-'Israel' rupture

In a recent piece published by Bloomberg, Kluth acknowledged that this sudden rupture is now closer than ever.

The Biden administration attempted to downplay the significance of the abstention, emphasizing that there had been no "policy shift" and highlighting that the resolution also includes a call for the release of all Israeli captives.

However, despite these efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was still furious enough to cancel a planned trip by an Israeli delegation to Washington aimed at repairing relations. Yet, it was Netanyahu's approach to war and the absence of a coherent peace strategy that ultimately compelled the US and UN to reach this juncture, as per Kluth. It's noteworthy that all other 14 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution.

The bombing of the Gaza Strip by the Netanyahu government has been described by Biden as "indiscriminate" on occasion. That said, the administration's efforts to provide humanitarian aid have been deemed inadequate, and its plans to invade the city of Rafah are viewed as reckless. Over a million Gazan civilians who have been forcibly displaced are now seeking refuge there.

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However, launching a full-scale assault on Rafah would likely result in another humanitarian catastrophe. This concern prompted US Vice President Kamala Harris to issue a warning to Netanyahu, stating that she is "ruling out nothing" if he proceeded with the invasion. With the civilian death toll in Gaza surpassing 32,000 and continuing to rise, and the threat of famine looming, it appears that the US has finally established a clear boundary, Kluth went on to say.

US at a 'psychological tipping point'

In Kluth's view, the United States reached "a psychological tipping point stateside", this month, highlighted by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's remarks, who is the highest-ranking elected official of Jewish faith in America.

Schumer expressed controversial yet poignant sentiments regarding this historic moment, stating that "Israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah." He also suggested that Netanyahu increasingly prioritizes his interests over those of "Israel". Schumer proposed holding new elections in the occupation, expressing his desire for a new government that would exclude far-right extremists from Netanyahu's coalition. Instead, Schumer hopes for a government that would collaborate with the US toward Palestinian statehood.

"Netanyahu and his American allies on the Republican right howled at what they called interference in the democratic politics of an ally. That’s rich coming from Bibi, who’s spent much of the past three decades trying to manipulate US politics. He’s long cultivated links to the evangelical and nationalist American right..... Now there’s talk again of Netanyahu coming to address Congress. Many Democrats this time say they’ll boycott the speech," Kluth said.

"The reality is that US and Israeli politics have been intertwined for a long time, and if one side wants to address the electorate of the other, the privilege must extend in the opposite direction as well. So let Bibi talk directly to Americans, and Schumer or Biden to Israelis," he contended.

Despite the ongoing dialogue, the core disparity in the relationship remains unaltered. "Israel" is the party that depends on the US, not vice versa. It relies on American diplomatic support in various international forums, including the UN and the International Court of Justice, and it also requires American financial assistance, ammunition, and weaponry, as per the piece.

On the other hand, the US cannot indefinitely provide these resources if they are subsequently utilized in attacks on both Gaza militants and civilians, potentially constituting violations of international humanitarian law as well as US statutes, according to non-governmental organizations, it added.

'The tragedy of the moment'

Kluth went on to say that the two governments seem to have backed themselves into a corner. Netanyahu recently informed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that "Israel" intends to invade Rafah, asserting that they are prepared to act alone if necessary, even without US backing.

Such a move would defy not only the White House's repeated messages but also the Security Council's recent call for a ceasefire. If this action were to proceed without condemnation, it would render international law and the credibility of the United Nations, which the US played a pivotal role in establishing but has already begun to lose credibility, irrelevant. It would essentially nullify the entirety of the US's postwar legacy.

"This is the tragedy of the moment. By the looks of it, Netanyahu will soon give the order to attack Rafah, .......... causing even worse suffering for the two million civilians in the Gaza Strip, and even more isolation of Israel in the world. The US will then have to answer, by restricting arms shipments and letting the UN condemn Israel. When that time comes, the US may not even abstain," Kluth concluded.

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