A Story of 2 Losers

When Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump at the White House the day before yesterday, he tried to act as if he were right at home. He crossed one leg over the other. The smile never left his face. As soon as the meeting ended, he declared that it was one of the best encounters they had ever had. Netanyahu is lying. He knows he is lying. And others know it too. But he has no choice but to resort to this crude, flashy behavior. Israel’s legislative elections are next October. Opinion polls have confirmed how difficult it will be for him to secure the majority he needs to stay in power. He has tried to use Trump as one of his trump cards to rescue himself. But the five months since the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran have taken a toll on the friendship, which used to mean that he would ask, and the American president would immediately respond.

In previous meetings, there was a grand reception through the White House main entrance. At this last meeting, which Netanyahu begged Trump to schedule, the Likud leader entered through the back door, with no presidential reception. There were no journalists, no press conference and no live broadcast of the meeting — only photographs. These are not minor details for Trump and Netanyahu, both enamored of the spotlight and attention. The talks themselves were more telling than the cameras. Netanyahu came believing he was carrying decisive evidence that would compel Trump to accede to his demands. He claimed to have proof that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear program at Pickaxe Mountain in Isfahan province. Trump responded that this was not a big problem.

Netanyahu has tried every way possible to prove that the only end to the Iranian dilemma is to resume the war and topple the ruling regime. But Trump has not taken the bait. He is still reeling from the catastrophe his friend dragged him into by convincing him to strike Iran. Back then, Netanyahu assured Trump that Iran would collapse within days or weeks at most. Almost the opposite has happened. Trump is facing a crushing defeat in the midterm congressional elections as a result of the majority of Americans rejecting the war. Netanyahu's star has faded in Washington. The situation has turned from absolute support for him and his wars to unprecedented public criticism. Trump has confronted him and described him as crazy, saying that because of him, everyone hates Israel now. Vice President JD Vance has joined the fray, not only attacking Netanyahu and his hardline government, but refuting claims of antisemitism also leveled at anyone who criticizes Israel's policies.

Trump and Netanyahu’s paths have diverged, or nearly so. Trump is seeking a way out of the impasse, while Netanyahu is pressing to continue the war. But the two share one trait: they are both losers. Their ill-fated alliance against Iran has not yet achieved its objectives. More dangerously, its repercussions have negatively affected their popularity. But parting ways does not mean the end of their influence. The common interests of Israel and America are deeper and more entrenched than the disagreements between the leaders of the two countries. Perhaps the meeting the day before yesterday was their last. Netanyahu will be preoccupied with the elections, and those may not turn out the way he wants. He will leave power and face corruption charges, and perhaps it will end in prison.

The parting of ways does not mean an end to the war on Iran either. It has become a matter of purely American calculation. Trump’s personal whims play a role as well. If America resumes the attacks, Netanyahu will say it is in response to his pressure. But he knows full well that his role is nearing its end.