Report: Trump administration officials hoped for opposition victory — "there is fatigue with Netanyahu"
Former Trump administration officials told Politico they hoped for an opposition victory in Israel's elections to reset relations, citing 'fatigue with Netanyahu.' The emerging political deadlock dashed those hopes. A US source told i24NEWS that Trump will not intervene in the coming days.
Former Trump administration officials told Politico that they had hoped for an opposition victory in Israel's elections to reset relations between the countries. According to them, the emerging political deadlock dashed those hopes, and they attribute the deterioration in relations to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite President Trump's public support for Netanyahu. A former Trump administration official was quoted as saying: "This was an opportunity to stop the bleeding in relations through a less defiant government; there is fatigue with Netanyahu." Netanyahu's critics span the American political spectrum, from Democrats to Vice President J.D. Vance. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy claims Netanyahu is an obstacle to the US's ability to exit the confrontation in Iran. A former White House official explained that Trump's support for Netanyahu stems from personal relations and tactical calculations, and that Republican supporters of Israel prefer a gradual change like a unity government without Smotrich and Ben Gvir. A US source told i24NEWS that Trump will not intervene in the coming days but may invite Eisenkot and Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago in a few weeks.