Trump Increases Pressure on Netanyahu, Urges More Rationality

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, shared an article on social media suggesting that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political future is in his hands. On June 20, Trump posted on Truth Social an article from the American online outlet Just the News titled "Netanyahu's Shaky Reelection Chances, Trump Holds the Cards." The article included a quote from Trump during an interview with an Israeli media outlet, stating, "We need to watch who is running in the Israeli elections. I have a good relationship with Bibi (Netanyahu's nickname), but he needs to be more rational." Trump also mentioned that he is most likely to support Netanyahu, while also naming former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot as potential competitors. This sharing of the article is seen as a continuation of Trump's recent public criticism of Israel's military operations. While the U.S. has been accelerating peace negotiations with Iran, Israel has conducted airstrikes in Lebanon targeting the Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah. In response, Iran canceled a key provision of the peace memorandum regarding the opening of the Strait of Hormuz on June 20, putting pressure on the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reported that the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has deteriorated to an irreparable state as the White House seeks a diplomatic exit strategy to end the war with Iran. According to sources cited by the Journal, Netanyahu has demanded stronger military actions against Iran during phone calls, which has led to Trump's feelings of fatigue. Netanyahu appears to be facing the most significant political crisis of his tenure, with speculation that he could lose power in the upcoming elections scheduled for October. He is already facing three criminal trials related to corruption charges, with proceedings that had been paused due to wartime conditions resuming in April. There is also growing criticism regarding his failure to prevent the October 2023 surprise attack by Hamas, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people and the abduction of more than 250. Concerns are rising that Netanyahu may be using the ongoing war to evade his corruption trials. He has been accused of leveraging the security crisis to postpone legal proceedings. If Netanyahu were to halt military operations against Hezbollah, it could destabilize the coalition government that currently supports him. The collapse of this coalition could lead to a swift escalation of judicial proceedings against him. Leaders of the far-right factions allied with Netanyahu have consistently opposed any compromise with Hezbollah or withdrawal from occupied territories in Lebanon, citing security threats to Israel.



* This article has been translated by AI.

Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.