Opinion: Netanyahu was a cautious leader — until Trump came along
By Jackson Diehl Jackson Diehl Deputy editorial page editor and columnist focusing on international affairs Email Bio Follow Deputy Editorial Page Editor April 14 at 7:20 PM On the eve of the election that returned him to Israel’s prime minister’s office a decade ago, Benjamin Netanyahu promised he would “smash” and “uproot” the Hamas movement from the Gaza Strip.
You might say Netanyahu has been Israel’s Donald Trump, only smarter. But that was before the two men forged what they claim is the closest bond between any U.S. president and Israeli prime minister. Having long espoused Trumpian politics, Netanyahu has adopted the president’s social media tricks. Will he now, urged on by his partner, embrace the reckless measures that he has always avoided?That is what some Israelis are most afraid of following Netanyahu’s electoral victory last week.
Netanyahu’s problem — or perhaps his golden opportunity, as he may see it — is that he no longer has the emergency brake that Israeli leaders have traditionally pulled to check excesses: the threat of rupture with the United States. White House disapproval stopped Israel from bombing Iraq during the Persian Gulf War, and it played a role in preventing a strike on Iran during President Barack Obama’s first term.
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