Regarding the alleged distancing between Trump and Netanyahu: So far we have rumours and reports in that sense, which may or may not be true, but there are at least three concrete actions that do point in that direction.
Considering how much Israel has controlled the US historically, these are big deals. Now we are reading that Netanyahu has supposedly declared that they need to fend for themselves, that they will take over Gaza on their own and expel the Palestinians, and that they need to become independent from the US in regards to security.
The distancing sounds very good, and I do hope wholeheartedly that's the case. But there are two wildcards:
Another interesting detail, noted but the couple from Redacted, is that just as Trump appears to be moving against Israel's designs, some Western news outlets, which normally supports Israel and oppose Trump, have published pieces critical of Israel. As far as I know, that includes The New York Times, The FInancial Times, The Economist, and the BBC with Louis Theroux's documentary 'The Settlers'. I'm not sure what that means, but it sure is interesting. Here's Redacted:
- First, Trump pulling out of his little war with the Houthis, which was clearly meant to be on behalf of Israel. They agree not to fire at each other, but nothing was said about Israel, so the Houthies are free to carry on targeting Ben Gurion airport, for example.
- Second, the US negotiated directly with Hamas the release of the last American hostage, who was indeed freed (and chose not to see Netanyahu). With no American hostages, the US is in a position in which it could argue that they don't have a direct interest on the conflict.
- Third, Trump is on a tour in the Middle East, and he is not making a stop on Israel.
Considering how much Israel has controlled the US historically, these are big deals. Now we are reading that Netanyahu has supposedly declared that they need to fend for themselves, that they will take over Gaza on their own and expel the Palestinians, and that they need to become independent from the US in regards to security.
The distancing sounds very good, and I do hope wholeheartedly that's the case. But there are two wildcards:
- The first one is Trump himself, who seems to change his mind every third day, often contadicting what he said before. So, just as easily he is pushing Israel aside this week, who knows what he'll do the next one.
- The second is of course Israel. If they calculate that they are losing control of Trump for real, they will pull out the bag of dirty tricks. That can include anything from false flags, blackmail, scandals, provocation and sabotage to assassination attempts. Interestingly, Trump is with MBS in Saudi Arabia and he refused to drink his welcome ceremonial tea. Has he been advised to be careful? I hope so:
Another interesting detail, noted but the couple from Redacted, is that just as Trump appears to be moving against Israel's designs, some Western news outlets, which normally supports Israel and oppose Trump, have published pieces critical of Israel. As far as I know, that includes The New York Times, The FInancial Times, The Economist, and the BBC with Louis Theroux's documentary 'The Settlers'. I'm not sure what that means, but it sure is interesting. Here's Redacted: