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Trump Advisers See Opportunity Beyond Benjamin Netanyahu After Donald Trump Endorses Him
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Trump endorsed Netanyahu in the Israeli election, according to Axios reports. Some Trump advisers say a Netanyahu successor could better advance Washington's Middle East agenda.
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Advisers weigh a post-Netanyahu
U.S. officials told Axios that some advisers to President Donald Trump see opportunity for his Middle East agenda in a government led by someone other than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, even after Trump endorsed Netanyahu in Tuesday’s Israeli election.
“‘I do not attack Baby Netanyahu, but I do not support him either.”
Trump endorsed Netanyahu on Sunday after weeks of hesitation, and one Trump adviser described the president’s view of Netanyahu as “the devil he knows.”
Axios reported that Trump views Netanyahu as “the devil he knows,” citing that Trump has never dealt with an Israeli prime minister other than Netanyahu and does not know any of the other candidates personally.
Axios also reported that Vice President جي دي فانس refused to announce his endorsement of Netanyahu, saying: "I do not attack Baby Netanyahu, but I do not support him either. I think that what matters in the end is supporting the president."
Leverage, concessions, and timing
U.S. officials told Axios that Trump’s endorsement could function as a win-win, because Trump could claim credit for rescuing Netanyahu politically if Netanyahu wins or remains in power as caretaker prime minister. Axios reported that if Netanyahu loses and his opponents form a government, the new Israeli leadership would still have every incentive to cultivate good relations with Trump, making Trump’s backing of Netanyahu’s rival a footnote.
The Axios report said Trump will face a defining choice for his Middle East agenda after the Israeli election and U.S. midterms, specifically whether to join Netanyahu in another major military operation against Iran. Al-Monitor said Trump turned to Truth Social on Sunday to offer his “full and total support” to current Prime Minister Netanyahu, describing him as “a great warrior.”
Polls and a coalition crisis
Three major Israeli television networks released their final pre-election polls Friday, and the polls projected Netanyahu’s coalition falling well short of a parliamentary majority. The polls gave former military chief Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition bloc between 52 and 56 seats, while two Arab Israeli parties were projected to win between 14 and 16 seats, and Channel 11 also projected four seats for a reservists party unaffiliated with either bloc.
The polls point to a potential political deadlock, because neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot appears to have a clear path to the 61 seats needed to form a government. Al-Monitor said a Channel 12 poll conducted the following day suggested that Netanyahu did not receive any immediate boost, despite Trump’s popularity in Israel.