Netanyahu Wins Likud Primaries but Faces Challenges from Trump’s Middle East Moves
Benjamin Netanyahu secured victory in the Likud party primaries, yet he faces significant diplomatic challenges due to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s unconventional Middle East policies. While Netanyahu focuses on internal party battles, Trump and his envoys have openly engaged with Hamas leaders, embraced Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad, and reached understandings with Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Hezbollah, often sidelining Israel.
Two years ago, during the captivity of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, the Biden administration sought to negotiate their release through official state actors like Kuwait and Egypt, adhering to a longstanding U.S. policy of not negotiating with terrorist groups. In contrast, after his re-election, Trump pursued direct contacts with regional actors, receiving a presidential plane from Qatar and forging ties with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Syria, and Turkey. Trump’s approach included quiet agreements with the Houthis and Hezbollah, halting Israeli military actions without consulting Israel, and implementing a 20-point plan for Gaza.
Netanyahu has found himself increasingly isolated, with strained relations not only with the Democratic Party, which has shifted away from Israel, but also with parts of the Jewish community and European countries critical of Israeli policies. Despite this, Germany and the Czech Republic remain supportive allies within Europe. Jared Kushner recently arrived to revive a controversial 15-point plan aimed at resolving the Israel-Gaza conflict, again without Israeli consultation.
The article highlights Netanyahu’s predicament as akin to a frog in boiling water, enduring escalating pressures without jumping out, partly due to his own severed ties with the Democratic Party and the lack of alternative allies. While President Joe Biden is portrayed retrospectively as a steadfast friend who upheld the policy of not negotiating with terrorists, Trump’s unpredictable maneuvers have complicated Israel’s diplomatic standing. Netanyahu’s personal and political choices have left him dependent on Trump’s faction in Washington, despite the tensions and challenges this entails.
