The New York Times has reported we have entered a new phase of American-Israeli relations. Donald Trump has effectively made it clear to Netanyahu that, the US president, is calling the shots over what Israel does in Gaza and that Netayahu has no choice but to honor the ceasefire. As the New York Time’s David M. Halbfinger writes:
The parade of Trump administration officials to Jerusalem over the past week to ensure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sticks to the cease-fire in Gaza drew a catchy shorthand in the Israeli news media, playing on the prime minister’s nickname: “Bibi-sitting.”
Beyond the supposed adult supervision being given to a sovereign ally, however, was a more striking change. A distinct new phase in the U.S.-Israel relationship is being cemented, particularly in the relationship between the two countries’ leaders.
Whats funny is how the Israelis thought that Trump was working for them, as opposed to it being the other way around:
“The term used in Israel was that he works for us,” Reuven Hazan, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said of Mr. Trump. “Everybody thought that Trump was mouthing words that Bibi wrote for him.”
But this is now no longer the case, as the New York Times says:
That is no longer the case:
Rather, Mr. Trump has increasingly aired his frustrations with Mr. Netanyahu. One early example was Mr. Trump’s eruption at the prime minister over an Israeli airstrike on Iran in June after a cease-fire had been reached in that 12-day war.
After Israel’s botched airstrike on Hamas negotiators in Qatar last month, Mr. Trump, meeting with Mr. Netanyahu in the Oval Office, forced him to call the Qatari prime minister and apologize.
Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, elaborated in a “60 Minutes” interview on Oct. 20.
“I think he felt like the Israelis were getting a little bit out of control in what they were doing,” he said, “and that it was time to be very strong and stop them from doing things that he felt were not in their long-term interests.”
It was an extraordinary revelation by Mr. Kushner, who indicated that Mr. Trump believed he was acting in Israel’s interests and that Mr. Netanyahu was not.
Mr. Trump went on to push Mr. Netanyahu into agreeing to his Gaza peace plan — including an acknowledgment of Palestinian aspirations to statehood, which the Israeli leader adamantly opposes. A day later, Mr. Trump told Axios: “He’s got to be fine with it. He has no choice. With me, you got to be fine.”
But Trump has said that he wants “other countries” and not the US to deal with Hamas if the latter does not deliver the rest of the bodies:
[Trump] continues to threaten Hamas with harsh action if it fails to meet its commitment to return all the bodies of Israelis — though in a social media post on Saturday, he made it clear that “other countries” would be the ones to “take action” against Hamas if it did not comply.
Which “other countries” does he have in mind? Well JD Vance has made it clear that when it comes to Gaza, “that there’s a constructive role for the Turks to play.” If the Turks are permitted to enter Gaza with a military presence, it would mean Israel being encircled from the east by Syria, from the west by Cyprus and from the south by Gaza. It would be very ominous sign for Israel and would spell its end as the dominating power in the Middle East and the rise of a neo-Ottoman empire.
But the question is, will Netanyahu defy Trump? As we read in the New York Times:
“He [Trump] doesn’t have staying power,” Mr. Hazan said. “He can’t continue to be the Bibi-sitter. And he can’t continue having people flying in. The question is: Who will break first?”
The president hasn’t just asserted his dominance over Mr. Netanyahu in relation to Gaza. Mr. Trump told reporters in mid-October that when it comes to a potential two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, “I will decide what I think is right.”
The United States even has drones over Gaza, watching the entire situation and making sure that Israel does not break the ceasefire:
The United States has even begun operating drones over Gaza, suggesting that officials want to have their own understanding, independent of Israel’s, of what is happening.
The funny thing is, a huge part of the Israeli population sees Israel as an American protectorate:
Now, Mr. Netanyahu appears diminished in stature next to the president, Mr. Hazan said, like the governor of a state rather than the leader of a country.
A survey by Israeli’s public broadcaster on Sunday found that 48 percent of Israelis believed Israel had become a “U.S. protectorate.” Only 29 percent disagreed.
In remarks to his cabinet on Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu felt compelled to address the issue head-on.
“Israel is an independent country,” he said, repeating himself moments later.
That he had to say so — twice — was its own admission.
It is a far cry from the days when Mr. Netanyahu seemed to revel in his battles with American presidents, and often won them.
He defied President Joseph R. Biden Jr., saying Israelis would “fight with our fingernails” if Mr. Biden cut off arms shipments.
He defied President Barack Obama by addressing Congress to denounce Mr. Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. And he enraged President Bill Clinton so much that Mr. Clinton asked, in memorably salty terms, just whose country was the superpower.
Israel is heading into an election year, though the date of the vote is not yet known. Mr. Trump has repeatedly been the bearer of very generous gifts to Mr. Netanyahu before his re-election campaigns.But Mr. Trump is now making clear that he can also pose a threat to the prime minister.
“I think Bibi understands better than Trump that Trump can undermine his electoral prospects with one social post,” said Nimrod Novik, who was an adviser to former Prime Minister Shimon Peres and is now a fellow at the Israel Policy Forum.
“The moment Trump distances himself from him — either by saying, ‘This guy is bad news,’ or even more softly, by saying, ‘I will work equally closely with any Israeli prime minister’ — that’s enough to affect things.”
If Israel breaks the ceasefire, it will bring about the question of who is in charge, and does the United States actually have control over Israel. Trump definitely wants to project the image that it is controlling Israel. But, Israel will eventually continue on with its evil machinations, and the world will continue to hate Israel. The United States does not want a share in this ever growing rage and does not want to lose the world for Israel and to please a bunch of flag waving evangelicals. Remember what Trump recounted of a conversation with Netanyahu:
I said to Bibi, “Bibi, you can’t fight the world. You can fight individual battles, but the world’s against you. And Israel is a very small place compared to the world.”
The United States does not want to lose global favor in allied countries that are geostrategically vital for the American empire, such as the Gulf Arab countries and Turkey. Thus, Trump told Netanyahu that Israel was going to lose the world and could not defeat the world. We are beginning to see the inchoate stages of what the prophets foresaw.
All your lovers have forgotten you;
they care nothing for you;
for I have dealt you the blow of an enemy,
the punishment of a merciless foe,
because your guilt is great,
because your sins are flagrant. (Jeremiah 30:14)
Israel’s crimes are great, and her end is near.