Trump and Netanyahu, Newly Empowered, to Reunite; Israel Risks Overplaying Its Hand

Prime Minister Got the Outcome He Wanted in the US Elections

President Donald Trump (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White House balcony during the signing ceremony for the Abraham Accords; Sept. 15, 2020.

President Donald Trump (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the White House balcony during the signing ceremony for the Abraham Accords; Sept. 15, 2020.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw his best-case scenario become a reality Tuesday night: Donald Trump won a resounding victory and will be back in the White House in January.

Hours before results started pouring in across the Atlantic, Netanyahu took a drastic step to shore up control over his own coalition. With the world focused on the US ballot, Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, replacing him with loyalist Israel Katz.

Now the prime minister seems to finally have what he wants.

He has a cabinet made up of ministers who won’t publicly stand up to him. In a few short weeks, he will be working with a White House that will keep disagreements quiet and won’t make a fuss about humanitarian matters in the war against the Iranian axis.

And after the recent campaign against Hezbollah and last month’s airstrikes on Iran, Netanyahu faces an Islamic Republic that is more vulnerable to Israeli attacks than it has been for decades.

Read the full article at the Times of Israel.

Lazar Berman is the diplomatic correspondent at the Times of Israel, where he also covers Christian Affairs. He holds an M.A. in Security Studies from Georgetown University and taught at Salahuddin University in Iraqi Kurdistan. Berman is a reserve captain in the IDF’s Commando Brigade and served in a Bedouin unit during his active service.
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