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Netanyahu will hope that, as with the Iranian issue, Trump's personal anger will be set aside.
By AMICHAI STEIN JANUARY 20, 2025 18:16
THEN-US PRESIDENT Donald Trump walks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in 2020. Israel must carefully calibrate its relationship with the new-old president and his team, the writer cautions.
(photo credit: TOM BRENNER/REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are likely to set aside their differences to focus on the common enemy, Iran, the incoming president's resident pollster John Mclaughlin told The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
McLaughlin, who had worked also with Prime Minister Netanyahu, said the two "are going [to get] along very well" due to the fact that "they have a common enemy" - the Islamic Republic of Iran. "Iran does not like the United States and it does not like Israel, and that is why I think the alliance will get stronger."
Netanyahu may hope that McLaughlin's words become a reality, but the truth is that many in Israel, and also in the US establishment, fear things might turn out differently.
"If the Iranians are wise, they need to show a bit of respect, not too much, and this might lead Trump to tell the prime minister to set aside, for the moment, the idea of striking Iran," was the tone of several sources who spoke to the Post. If that is the case, Netanyahu knows he will need to arrive well-prepared for his first meeting with Trump, which was arranged in a phone call between the two last week and is expected to take place in Washington in the following weeks.
Netanyahu will try and persuade Trump to "finish the job" and give Israel bunker buster bombs which would allow Israel the operational abilities to strike deep underground targets - where some Iranian nuclear facilities are located. The prime minister will likely tell Trump: "I understand if you do not want to strike [alongside Israel] – but give us the ability to destroy the nuclear program."
Many of Trump's advisers, and even the president himself, are said to be "amazed" by the pager operation on Hezbollah and the Israeli strike against Iran in October which took out Iranian air defense systems, and believe now that Israel is capable of striking Iran in an operation which will not lead for a full scale war. The question is: Will it be enough to give Israel a green light?
The first issue, but not the only
Iran won't be the only issue in the two first meeting. Now that implementation of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal has begun, as does the countdown to day 42 of the ceasefire, which will mark the end of phase one – the humanitarian phase – in which 33 Israeli hostages will be released. Netanyahu will try and convince Trump to use his "there-will-be-hell abilities" in order to get the rest of the 64 hostages released. Netanyahu's ability to persuade the 47th president will be of course impacted by their personal relationship.
"Netanyahu was doing what he needs to do to secure the country," McLaughlin continued. "Trump and Netanyahu can deal with those challenges. These are very unique historic figures, leaders who the people support."
Netanyahu will hope that, as with the Iranian issue, Trump's personal anger will be set aside. This hope could be based on their recent phone calls, Sara Netanyahu's recent visit to Mar A-Lago and the Trump residence, along with recent positive comments made.
If one were to conduct a survey among Trump advisers and foreign policy appointees, a consensus would be found on two points: The need to strike Iran's nuclear program, and destroying Hamas. However, everyone knows that while you can offer Trump advice, he will have the final word – and no one knows for certain which words will it be. Trump could either be a president that does not want to start wars, or a president who is actively willing to fight evil.
English (US) ·