Trump-Netanyahu team suited to removing Iran’s regime, Netanyahu adviser tells ‘Post’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's foreign policy adviser, Ophir Falk, called for the removal of Iran's regime and said Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump were suited to achieving it, in written remarks to The Jerusalem Post ahead of Tuesday's Israeli election.“Removing the genocidal Ayatollah regime in Iran is in the best interests of America, Israel, and civilization,” Falk said. “The Trump-Netanyahu team has shown to be suited to do so.”Falk argued that the decisive question for voters was who would lead Israel during the final two years of Trump's presidency.“Who will best cooperate and coordinate with the President to finish the job in Iran and expand peace in the region?” he asked.Trump renewed his endorsement of Netanyahu on Sunday evening, urging Israelis to back him in the October 27 vote.“Vote for Bibi Netanyahu for Prime Minister; we have to finish the job that we started!”
Trump wrote on Truth Social.Falk contrasted that support with what he said were the preferences of Israel's adversaries.“Trump wants to work with Netanyahu,” he said. “At the same time, Israel's enemies – Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and, of course, Iran - want Netanyahu to lose.”“Israel and the American-Israeli alliance have never been stronger, and Iran and its proxies have never been weaker,” he added.Israel 'very close' to creating regime change conditions in IranIn an October 15 interview with the Post, Falk said Israel was “very close” to creating conditions for regime change, while stressing that Iranians would have to determine their country's future.“Regime change in Iran is up to the Iranian people,” he said in that interview.His written remarks ahead of the election did not specify how the US and Israel should pursue the regime's removal or provide a timetable.
Left out here: Drops what it reported before
The Post prints Falk's claims that "Trump wants to work with Netanyahu" and that the "Trump-Netanyahu team" is suited to finishing "the job in Iran". It never says that 'the job' means renewed military strikes on Iran. It also never says that, days earlier, the Post itself reported Trump opposed and stopped Netanyahu's planned renewed strikes. The same day, CNN reported Trump refused Netanyahu's push for a joint attack before the election. Without this, a reader believes the two leaders are united on Iran, when the reporting shows Trump blocked Netanyahu's plan.
How we know
- The Jerusalem Post wrote earlier“canceled the operation after receiving opposition from US President Donald Trump”Trump opposed Netanyahu's plans for renewed strikes on Iran ahead of US midterms - report (opens in a new tab)
- Times of Israel reported“Trump did not give a green light”Netanyahu pushed for Iran strike before election but Trump refused, CNN says (opens in a new tab)