Increased power, perhaps counterintuitively, appears to breed increased fear of weaker competitors. This can trigger preventive action such as foreign interventions that, to outsiders, may look illogical.
Donald Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday clearly showed the increasing dissociation between U.S. president’s words and reality.
It would be a mistake to assume that Netanyahu dictates Trump’s Middle East agenda. It would also be a mistake to allow Netanyahu to tailor American priorities to Israel’s political and military actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria.