Trump Urged to Curb Netanyahu’s Actions Ahead of Israeli Elections to Preserve Peace Prospects

Ahead of the upcoming Israeli elections, Dr. Gershon Baskin argues that US President Donald Trump must impose clear limits on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prevent further escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Baskin emphasizes that the issue has evolved from a Palestinian problem into a strategic American concern, requiring urgent action to avoid new conflicts and preserve the possibility of a regional peace process.

Jared Kushner’s recent visit to Israel focused on Gaza but should have carried a broader message from Trump. The immediate US goal is not to resolve all Israeli-Palestinian issues before the elections, which is unrealistic, but to prevent Netanyahu’s government from creating irreversible facts on the ground, igniting new fronts, or undermining regional peace efforts. The Trump administration is promoting a plan for Gaza involving transferring civilian authority to a technocratic Palestinian body, Israeli security withdrawals, and Hamas disarmament, but Netanyahu publicly opposes key elements, especially the sequence of Israeli withdrawal and Hamas disarmament.

Meanwhile, the West Bank situation is deteriorating rapidly, with unprecedented settlement expansion and escalating settler violence. Recent clashes in Kuseira between Israeli soldiers and settlers, who resisted dismantling an outpost near Palestinian homes, left Palestinians exposed to threats and terror. Baskin highlights that the settler movement, backed by powerful ministers in Netanyahu’s government, aims to make a Palestinian state impossible by creating irreversible territorial facts. Netanyahu may see a security escalation before elections as politically advantageous, but Trump must recognize the broader strategic risks.

Baskin calls on Trump to enforce three key rules before the elections: restrain settlers with genuine law enforcement rather than condemnations; prevent Netanyahu from escalating military actions in Gaza that could complicate future withdrawals and peace efforts; and maintain calm in Lebanon to avoid a renewed war with Hezbollah. The US must ensure that Netanyahu’s election campaign does not sabotage the prospects for peace after the vote.

The article concludes that while Trump does not need Netanyahu to achieve peace before the elections, he must ensure Netanyahu does not make peace impossible afterward. The post-election period will allow reassessment of regional strategy based on the new Israeli government, public sentiment, and evolving Palestinian and Arab leadership dynamics.