How Trump Turned Netanyahu Into a Dependent Partner

The latest strain in Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu’s relationship has exposed how far the Israeli leader has shifted from a confident partner to a dependent one. A Hebrew TV analysis published on June 12, 2026, argues that years of close ties, war coordination, and even Trump’s push for a pardon have left Netanyahu unable to say no to Washington, even when he believes Israeli interests are at stake.

The piece says the dynamic has become so lopsided that Trump can speak to Netanyahu in ways he would not use with other leaders, reportedly telling him, “You are crazy, without me you’d be in jail.” Former officials and commentators quoted in the article say Netanyahu has lost the leverage to resist American pressure, including on military decisions, because he has tied himself to Trump so tightly.

The article traces a long history of Israeli leaders clashing with U.S. presidents, from David Ben-Gurion’s retreat from Sinai in 1956 under Dwight Eisenhower’s pressure, through Yitzhak Rabin, Menachem Begin, Yitzhak Shamir and Ehud Olmert each facing U.S. retaliation or tension over policy disputes. It also recalls Bill Clinton’s early frustration with Netanyahu, Barack Obama’s hostility after Netanyahu backed Mitt Romney and then addressed Congress against Obama over the Iran nuclear deal, a move the article says ultimately helped Obama rally support for the agreement.

According to the analysis, the relationship worsened further after the October 7, 2023 attack, when Washington became deeply involved in Israeli decision-making, and again after Trump returned to office. Trump is said to want to end the war, to seek a deal with Iran that Israel sees as bad, and to believe Netanyahu may be trying to drag him into continuing conflict. The pardon issue, raised publicly by Trump before President Isaac Herzog in the Knesset, is described as a major source of leverage, even though one source says there is no real chance Netanyahu will ever receive one.