Neera Tanden speaking with attendees at the 2019 National Forum on Wages and Working People. Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – US President Joe Biden’s choice to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) called the US recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights in March 2019 as “a blatant political move” to benefit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli elections later that month.

In a statement, Neera Tanden, the president and CEO of the left-wing public policy and advocacy group Center for American Progress, called the “unilateral decision” by US President Donald Trump “a blatant political move to boost the chances of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections and earn political points here at home.”

“Unfortunately, it could actually destabilize the region, isolate the United States and diminish the chances of Arab-Israeli peace even further,” she continued. “Yet again, President Trump is conducting policy by tweet without explaining how this move fits into a broader strategy, consulting with allies and partners, or even briefing the US Congress.”

The OMB is the largest office within the Executive Office of the President, which oversees the performance of federal agencies and administers the federal budget.