The Shared Fate of Netanyahu and Trump: How to Present a Defeat on the Ground as a Victory in the Media
This opinion column compares Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US President Donald Trump, arguing that both are trying to present defeats on the ground as relative achievements ahead of upcoming elections. It claims that Trump failed in his campaign against Iran and is now settling for a drop in oil prices, while Netanyahu opposes the points plan but is expected to accept a similar plan with cosmetic changes. The author criticizes their conduct and notes that for Netanyahu, the elections are a matter of 'to be or not to be'.
This opinion column compares Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to US President Donald Trump, arguing that both are trying to present a reality of failure as a relative achievement ahead of upcoming elections. The author describes how Trump, who led a campaign against Iran that included Operation 'Roar of the Lion', failed to achieve his goals: regime change, damaging the ballistic program, stopping proxy activity, and halting the nuclear program. He is now settling for a one-cent drop in oil prices ahead of the midterm elections. Netanyahu, for his part, opposes the '15-point plan' but the author estimates he will accept a similar plan with semantic and cosmetic changes, which will be presented as achievements. The author criticizes Netanyahu's conduct, including attempts to delay the elections, and notes that for him, the elections are 'to be or not to be', unlike Trump, for whom these are midterm elections.