Likud Worries Netanyahu’s Strongest Political Asset Is at Risk

Photo: Yonatan Sindel, Flash90

Concern in Likud: The prime minister’s strongest political card is in danger

Matti Tuchfeld 13:25 42 123 11

Is Netanyahu’s “ace” wearing thin? Likud officials are worried by data indicating a decline in support for Trump in Israel, דווקא in the midst of the election campaign. The concern is that the talks with Iran are hurting the American president’s standing among the Israeli public and weakening one of the central cards on which the prime minister has built his campaign.

In the circle around Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and in the upper echelons of Likud, concern has been expressed in recent days over what appears to be a shift in Israeli public opinion toward United States President Donald Trump. Although support for the American president remains high, especially among right-wing voters, recent data indicate a gradual erosion in his popularity among the Israeli public.

Assessments in the political system attribute this erosion to Trump’s declared policy shift toward Iran. While in the past the American president promised to take a hard, unilateral line against Tehran, his current efforts to reach an agreement with the Iranian government, alongside what is perceived as a softening of the economic siege imposed on it, are causing disappointment among parts of the public in Israel that are hoping for a tougher policy.

This trend presents a complex challenge for Netanyahu, both on the diplomatic-security level and on the political level. From a security perspective, there is concern about the absence of a unified, joint front by the United States and Israel against the regime in Tehran. Politically, Likud’s election strategy is based largely not only on highlighting the close ties with the American president, but on the president himself as a combative and strong figure standing with Israel.

According to the campaign’s working plans, Trump is expected to play a central role in the election. The plan includes a scheduled meeting between Netanyahu and Trump in the United States during September, in the middle of the campaign, as well as a reciprocal visit by the American president to Israel close to the opening of the polls. Although these moves are still expected to take place, Trump’s declining popularity in Israel could affect their political effectiveness, prompting concern that the value of one of the strongest cards Netanyahu held for the election campaign has fallen significantly.

United States, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump