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Trump's mind-bending Middle East gambit: Egging Netanyahu on, from the right
For decades, U.S. administrations — Republican and Democratic alike — have sought to rein in right-wing Israeli governments, treating them as strategic allies but also problematic actors in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Even staunchly pro-Israel Republican presidents like Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush had their run-ins with Israeli leaders over Jewish settlements, military actions, and diplomatic obstructions.
But in his current mindset, President Donald Trump has upended this long-standing dynamic in a spectacularly bizarre way: Instead of trying to restrain Israel’s hard-right government, he is goading it into even more extreme positions, outflanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. Of all of Trump’s many disruptions, this may be the most surprising — and the most dangerous.
But in his current mindset, President Donald Trump has upended this long-standing dynamic in a spectacularly bizarre way: Instead of trying to restrain Israel’s hard-right government, he is goading it into even more extreme positions, outflanking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself. Of all of Trump’s many disruptions, this may be the most surprising — and the most dangerous.
https://forward.com/opinion/696124/trump-ceasefire-netanyahu/