Although there may be some short-term disruption in trade with Israel due to Great Britain’s decision to leave the EU, and the Jewish state will lose an important ally within the European Union, James Sorene believes there may also be long-term benefits:

The UK is Israel’s second-largest trading partner; bilateral trade is worth £5 billion a year and has doubled in the last decade. . . . Britain will need to negotiate a separate trade agreement with Israel as Israel’s association agreement with the EU will no longer apply. If the UK falls into recession, bilateral trade could decrease in value as UK consumers spend less money. But there could be enhanced terms for some Israeli exports, especially agricultural produce, to the UK market once it leaves the EU.

The impact of Brexit on the EU’s policy toward Israel is debatable. In the past, the UK has [sometimes] been an important moderating voice, but often falls in line with common EU positions. The UK will no longer be present for these debates, so Israel will look to other allies in the EU such as Germany. While the UK was a very significant player in EU foreign policy, Israel has been building up relations with several countries in Eastern Europe and most recently became significantly closer to Greece and Cyprus.

In the longer term, the UK’s foreign policy could rebalance away from Europe and gravitate more to U.S. positions. Britain may feel the need to rebut any suggestion of diminished influence by taking more of a lead on the global stage. The UK has a very large foreign-aid budget and the best armed forces in Europe. It has committed significant resources to the fight against Islamic State and shares common strategic interests with Israel. None of this work is connected to EU membership, but is a function of the UK’s military and intelligence capability and its existing alliances in the Middle East.

For some time, opponents of U.S support for Israel have been urging the White House to end the war in Gaza, or simply calling for a ceasefire. Douglas Feith and Lewis Libby consider what such a result would actually entail:

Ending the war immediately would allow Hamas to survive and retain military and governing power. Leaving it in the area containing the Sinai-Gaza smuggling routes would ensure that Hamas can rearm. This is why Hamas leaders now plead for a ceasefire. A ceasefire will provide some relief for Gazans today, but a prolonged ceasefire will preserve Hamas’s bloody oppression of Gaza and make future wars with Israel inevitable.

For most Gazans, even when there is no hot war, Hamas’s dictatorship is a nightmarish tyranny. Hamas rule features the torture and murder of regime opponents, official corruption, extremist indoctrination of children, and misery for the population in general. Hamas diverts foreign aid and other resources from proper uses; instead of improving life for the mass of the people, it uses the funds to fight against Palestinians and Israelis.

Moreover, a Hamas-affiliated website warned Gazans last month against cooperating with Israel in securing and delivering the truckloads of aid flowing into the Strip. It promised to deal with those who do with “an iron fist.” In other words, if Hamas remains in power, it will begin torturing, imprisoning, or murdering those it deems collaborators the moment the war ends. Thereafter, Hamas will begin planning its next attack on Israel:

Hamas’s goals are to overshadow the Palestinian Authority, win control of the West Bank, and establish Hamas leadership over the Palestinian revolution. Hamas’s ultimate aim is to spark a regional war to obliterate Israel and, as Hamas leaders steadfastly maintain, fulfill a Quranic vision of killing all Jews.

Hamas planned for corpses of Palestinian babies and mothers to serve as the mainspring of its October 7 war plan. Hamas calculated it could survive a war against a superior Israeli force and energize enemies of Israel around the world. The key to both aims was arranging for grievous Palestinian civilian losses. . . . That element of Hamas’s war plan is working impressively.