Trump and Netanyahu, Newly Empowered, to Reunite; Israel Risks Overplaying Its Hand

Prime Minister Got the Outcome He Wanted in the US Elections

President Donald Trump (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White House balcony during the signing ceremony for the Abraham Accords; Sept. 15, 2020.

President Donald Trump (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White House balcony during the signing ceremony for the Abraham Accords; Sept. 15, 2020.

Shutterstock

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw his best-case scenario become a reality Tuesday night: Donald Trump won a resounding victory and will be back in the White House in January.

Hours before results started pouring in across the Atlantic, Netanyahu took a drastic step to shore up control over his own coalition. With the world focused on the US ballot, Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, replacing him with loyalist Israel Katz.

Now the prime minister seems to finally have what he wants.

He has a cabinet made up of ministers who won’t publicly stand up to him. In a few short weeks, he will be working with a White House that will keep disagreements quiet and won’t make a fuss about humanitarian matters in the war against the Iranian axis.

And after the recent campaign against Hezbollah and last month’s airstrikes on Iran, Netanyahu faces an Islamic Republic that is more vulnerable to Israeli attacks than it has been for decades.

Read the full article at the Times of Israel.

Lazar Berman is the diplomatic correspondent at the Times of Israel, where he also covers Christian Affairs. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and taught at Salahuddin University in Iraqi Kurdistan. Berman is a reserve captain in the IDF’s Commando Brigade and served in a Bedouin unit during his active service.
See more from this Author
The Decision Underscores How Ineffective Israel’s Government Has Been in Maintaining Support Among Erstwhile Western Partners
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Turkey Aren’t Going to Go to War for Each Other; They Want to Show the U.S. and Iran They Are Ready to Lead in a Region They See as Destabilized by Jerusalem
Not Surprisingly, Iran Has a Very Different Version of How Matters Played Out over the Weekend
See more on this Topic
Israel Can Present Impressive Military Achievements While Upholding the Purity of Arms, Yet at the Same Time Watch Its Room for Maneuver Steadily Shrink
Even the EU Is Turning to the ‘Space Zionists’ for Help
The Decision Underscores How Ineffective Israel’s Government Has Been in Maintaining Support Among Erstwhile Western Partners