When it became evident a few weeks ago that President Donald Trump had no strategy for winning the war in Iran and little hope of getting out of the increasingly unpopular conflict without losing face, I started worrying about Israel.
Trump took the United States into battle in lock step with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. My concern was that if the conflict became a political hot potato for Trump, he’d drop it in Netanyahu’s lap and join the chorus blaming Israel for dragging the U.S. into an unwinnable war.
And now it’s happening. According to reports, Iran is demanding Trump impose conditions on Israel before it will agree to a peace deal. Specifically, Iran is insisting Israel end the escalation of its bombing attacks on terrorist positions in Lebanon in response to a constant bombardment from Hezbollah.
Numerous news sources are reporting Trump, in an obscenity-laced phone call Monday, lashed out at Netanyahu, calling him “crazy” and accusing him of being an ingrate.
“You’re f—ing crazy” Trump reportedly told the prime minister. “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
The White House is not denying the exchange, during which the president is said to have told Netanyahu to back off plans to bomb the Lebanese capitol of Beirut.
“What the f–k are you doing?” Trump reportedly screamed.
Despite being bombed to near oblivion, having its military machine broken and losing multiple layers of its religious and political leadership, that phone call represents a victory for Iran in this war.
It drives the wedge between Washington and Tel Aviv that the enemies of Israel have long sought.
Facing discontent at home over the economic damage caused by the war, including soaring gasoline prices, Trump turned to a time-honored scapegoat: Israel.
In doing so, the president adds fuel to the narrative that Netanyahu dragged him into this war. To get out, to cut his party’s losses in the midterm elections, to rescue his own sinking approval numbers, he’ll have to throw Israel under the bus.
It’s hard to see now how Israel and the United States can present a united front in pressing their demands that Iran abandon its nuclear ambitions and immediately and unconditionally reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
What started as a final push to defang Iran and end its longstanding threat to Israel is most likely to end with a bad deal that ignores Iran’s nuclear mischief-making, allows it to charge a toll on international shipping through the strait and focuses it on rebuilding the capacity to wipe Israel off the map.
It also will embolden the growing number of voices in Congress and elsewhere who are calling for the U.S. to suspend all aid to Israel and leave it to fend for itself in what now will be an even more hostile region.
If the heated phone call represents a true break between the two nations, it puts the existence of the Jewish state at risk, and could derail the effort to build economic and cultural alliances between Israel and its neighbors.
That the friction continues to go unrefuted is a serious red flag, sending the message the U.S. may not always have Israel’s back. You can bet that Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are hearing it loud and clear.
Trump made a classic mistake in starting a war he didn’t know how to end. And it looks like Israel will pay the price.
Sign up for the Nolan Out Loud report.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Finley: Will Trump throw Israel under the bus?
Reporting by Nolan Finley, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nolan Finley, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
