David Makovsky, at The Blogs

David Makovsky

Jul 25, 2026, 12:40 PM

Lindsey Graham’s last gift to the US-Israel alliance

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina speaks to the media in Tel Aviv, December 21, 2025. (AP/ Maya Levin)

A White House meeting alongside the senator's funeral could let Trump and Netanyahu avoid the appearance of a wartime rift

Nov 4, 2025, 2:19 PM

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‘I authorized it’: Yitzhak Rabin’s ethos of accountability

Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in Washington, DC, on November 16, 1993. (AP Photo/Charles Tasnadi)

His moral authority to demand sacrifice derived from his insistence on exhausting every path to peace before resorting to force

Oct 8, 2024, 10:47 PM

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How Israel can leverage its successes (yes, successes)

IDF soldiers seen near the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, October 6, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

Despite massive failures leading up to this year of war, Israel has key achievements it can use to solidify its regional standing

Sep 24, 2024, 3:48 PM

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Reminder: The hostages (or: Why an ‘all for all’ deal doesn’t help them)

Protesters hold signs calling for the release of hostages held by terror groups in Gaza since October 7, outside the Kirya military base, Tel Aviv, April 18, 2024. (Ahmad Gharbli/AFP)

With Hezbollah in the headlines and hostage talks stuck, the goal of bringing them home seems far away - especially if you're Netanyahu and want to stay in Gaza

Jul 22, 2024, 2:52 PM

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Biden’s legacy and Netanyahu’s missed moment?

US President Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, October 18, 2023. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

The coming months hold hope for Saudi normalization, but only if the prime minister can put aside fear of his far-right coalition partners

May 17, 2024, 4:31 PM

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Some big decisions: What it will take to repair Israel-US ties

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, May 13, 2024. (Susan Walsh/AP)

The two allies are unlikely to agree on everything, but, in light of how much is at stake, they need to iron out their differences

Feb 16, 2024, 4:07 PM

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Without enforcement, talk of two states is hollow

Hamas members celebrate their capture of the Preventive Security headquarters in fighting from Fatah loyalist security forces in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 14, 2007. (AP/Eyad AlbabaFile)

Most Israelis would support a deal if they thought it would succeed, but first they'd need to overcome their genuine reasons for skepticism

Oct 13, 2023, 1:45 AM

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The trust Biden built with Israelis doesn’t come with a blank check

US President Joe Biden, with Vice President Kamala Harris (L) and Secretary of State Antony Blinken (R), speaks about the Hamas atrocities against Israelis, and pledges unstinting support for Israel, in the State Dining Room of the White Houses in Washington, DC, on October 10, 2023. (Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP)

The depth of the US president's commitment impressed ordinary Israelis but an ongoing Gaza war could test ties

Jul 8, 2022, 1:26 PM

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What Biden and Lapid have in common

Left: US President Joe Biden speaks at a change of command ceremony at US Coast Guard headquarters, June 1, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Right: Prime Minister Yaïr Lapid makes a statement following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee palace in Paris, on July 5, 2022. (Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

They share political temperament and policy priorities – but will their chemistry lead to progress on the two vexing issues, Iran and the Palestinians?

Mar 28, 2022, 11:43 AM

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A new regional role for Israel as Washington shows signs of stepping back

Morocco’s Nasser Bourita, Bahrain’s Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, UAE’s Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry and Yair Lapid dine, during a summit for foreign ministers at the Kedma Hotel in Sde Boker, March 27, 2022. (Egypt Foreign Ministry Twitter Account)

The Arab involvement in the Negev Summit speaks to an appreciation of both Israel's sensibility as a local power and its unique placement with regard to the US

About Me

David Makovsky is a distinguished fellow and director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy’s Project on Arab-Israel Relations. He formerly worked at the Office of the US Secretary of State and is an adjunct professor of Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze School for Advanced International Relations (SAIS). He is the host of the Decision Points podcast.