Agendas that Swirl and Tides that Turn: Are Netanyahu’s Goals Really the Same as Trump’s?
Benjamin Netanyahu is not an ordinary leader or politician. While many countries obviously elect different leaders and presidents from various political backgrounds, the embattled Likud leader has a clear talent for survival in the difficult game of Israeli politics. Indeed, while the nation of just over 10 million people is once again at the center of much current international controversy, Israel’s right-wing leader continues to hold onto power with a coalition government. Netanyahu has been targeted by the left in his country, both politically and in the court system, but the 76-year-old remains in charge of his nation.
The current Israeli, leader like much of the right in Israel, has also long advocated both for the bombing of Iran and for regime change in the Persian nation. The Israeli Prime Minister has accelerated his support of the nation’s government-subsidized settlements significantly since taking power more recently, and Iran and the nation’s proxies obviously stand in the way of his goals to secure Israel and expand the country’s territory. Netanyahu has forcefully supported toppling the government of Iran for decades. A strongly opinionated and at times manipulative leader, the right-wing prime minister has always been controversial both inside of his nation and abroad.
This is why recent reports of a tense phone call between Trump and Netanyahu raise serious questions over whether or not the goals of the two leaders are truly aligned right now. The President’s clear objective is to reach a deal that terminates Iran’s nuclear program, while there are multiple indications that Israel’s leader is seeking regime change. These stories follow a credible report of another strong disagreement between the two leaders over the idea of advocating for the Iranian people to overthrow the brutal regime running the country several weeks ago. Trump was concerned the death toll could mount quickly, while Netanyahu reportedly thought the risks were worth taking for the Iranian people. Ultimately, no call for the people of the Persian nation to rise up against the Iranian dictatorship was given by either leader.
When the war between the US, Israel, and Iran originally broke out, Israeli strikes eliminated many of the top Iranian leaders. While the military action that took out Iran’s top officials was done jointly by the US and Israel, part of the reason for taking out Iran’s leadership was obviously that Trump believed getting rid of the former Supreme Leader would make the Iranian regime more likely to cut a favorable deal with the United States. Netanyahu’s goals appear to diverge from those of the US in several ways, though. In addition to the repeated reports of Netanyahu wanting Trump to more fiercely advocate for regime change, Israel has also taken significant actions in Lebanon against Iran’s main proxy, Hezbollah. The Israeli prime minister has been pushing Trump to end the current ceasefire, likely because he both wants to continue the nation’s strikes in Lebanese territory, as well as since he views this pause as giving the Iranian government he wants to remove time to regroup and rebuild the country’s military.
Obviously, the fact that Israel’s and the US’s interests are not completely aligned is not surprising. Trump and Netanyahu have enjoyed a close friendship for years, and their relationship still appears to be strong. The Israeli Prime Minister knows the US is in charge, he wouldn’t buck Trump in almost any scenario. Still, there is significant evidence that Netanyahu is still seeking regime change in Iran in addition to wanting to eliminate Iran’s influence in Lebanon with Hezbollah, while Trump’s stated more limited goal is to get a deal done that ends the Iranian nuclear program, even if such an agreement does not put major limits on the Persian nation’s support of proxies in countries such as Lebanon. Indeed, while no one should be surprised by Netanyahu wanting to resume fighting both in Lebanon and Iran, Trump is likely right to resist Bibby’s attempts to restart the conflict, since additional military action could turn the tide and derail what looks like the strong possibility of a significant long-term agreement. While the partnership between President Israel obviously remains strong, the diverging interests between Netanyahu and Trump with Iran are something to watch closely over the next several weeks.
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