The Times of Israel recently reported that two-thirds of Israelis prefer former U.S. President Donald Trump over U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris. They clearly believe that he will be tougher on Iran and more supportive of Israel’s war efforts than the Biden-Harris administration, which is odd given the fact that both Trump and Harris do not want a direct confrontation with Tehran.
Also strange is the widespread notion that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in lockstep with each other.
If Jared Kushner’s memoir, which I reviewed, is to be believed, Netanyahu had a trust deficit with Trump just as he has had with a long list of U.S. officials and presidents. When Netanyahu traveled to Washington, D.C., for the first time as prime minister in 1996, President Bill Clinton reportedly asked his staff after their meeting, “Who’s the fucking superpower here?” President Barack Obama clearly could not stand to be in the same room with him. And Trump rooted for Benny Gantz in the series of Israeli elections held during his tenure.
Trump clearly does not want the war with Hamas to be the first issue he has to deal with should he win the election, which is why he recently told Netanyahu that he better wrap it up in Gaza before inauguration day. It’s something he has said multiple times before, stirring concern in Jerusalem because Trump’s timeline does not necessarily align with Israel’s, which has done a lot of damage to Hamas but intends to continue. And if Netanyahu ends major military operations and declares victory, it will not sit well with his domestic allies to the right.
Bottom line: Either way the election goes, there is likely to be tension in the U.S.-Israel relationship.
This post is part of FP’s live coverage with global updates and analysis throughout the U.S. election. Follow along here.