U.S. Official Unrattled by Israeli Stalemate

YERUSHALAYIM
Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker. (via twitter)

In a welcome counterpoint to increasing anxieties over the Israeli governmental impasse, a U.S. State Department official expressed confidence in the country’s stability on Wednesday.

Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs David Schenker, just back in Washington after a visit to Israel, was asked at a press briefing, “How concerned are you with Israel that Israel’s just becoming ungovernable, given the stalemate that they’re in and continued prospects for it to be evenly split?”

Schenker replied that he’s not worried, noting the bottom line of governance:

“This is a government that still takes decisions of consequence in support of its defense, it’s going out and tackling threats every day in neighboring states, defending itself. So it is operating and defending its national security and making decisions where necessary,” he said, according to The Jerusalem Post.

“So, no, I’m not concerned that it’s ungovernable.”

Subsequently, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus suggested the reporter’s question was baseless.

“Would you call the United Kingdom ungovernable?” Ortagus pointed out that the U.K. has had three different foreign secretaries since Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took office in April 2018.

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