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Israel’s war on Gaza live: 24 hours of Israeli attacks “bloody and brutal” | News on the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Analyst Rami Khoury says that while there has been a “minor hiccup” in what he called the massive flow of arms and money from the US to Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza, it is not a major problem between the two close allies.

“The US and Israel are very good at theatre, and that is the theatre we are watching right now,” Khoury, a professor at the American University of Beirut, told Al Jazeera.

“There has probably been no closer relationship anywhere in the world in the last half century than the US support for Israel. This is domestic political theater,” he said of the apparent dispute between the two allies over the speed of arms deliveries.

Khoury pointed out that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in “big trouble” in Israel and that it benefits him to create the impression of being tough on the United States.

“He is fighting with people from his own party. He is fighting with his own military leaders. He is fighting with people all over the world,” Khoury said.

“Netanyahu has almost run out of people to argue with. But by acting like a tough guy who stands up to the US and gets everything Israel needs from the US, he is strengthening part of his base in Israel. And he will need that because his coalition is a little shaky,” he said.

US President Biden attends a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, 2023. (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters/File)
US President Joe Biden (left) with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on October 18, 2023 (Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters)