Netanyahu Once Decried ‘Daylight’ With Washington, But Now Tolerates Trump’s Glare – Analysis

When Benjamin Netanyahu met with Donald Trump in February, the Israeli prime minister’s first meeting with the president in his second term, he made clear that he hoped the days of “daylight” between the two countries were gone.

“When Israel and the United States don’t work together, that creates problems,” Netanyahu said then. “When the other side sees daylight between us, and occasionally, in the last few years, to put it mildly, they saw daylight – then it’s more difficult.”

The dig was at President Joe Biden and the differences between the Democrat and Netanyahu had over Israel’s conduct of its war with Hamas in Gaza.

…

Michael Makovsky, president of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, a group that advocates for a robust US-Israel military alliance, said Republicans are more likely to extract concessions from Israel because they have become the repository of support for Israel in the United States, as Democrats have become increasingly disillusioned with the country.

“It makes it harder for Netanyahu to [buck] any pro-Israel Republican president, but especially Trump, who obviously would certainly hold it against him,” he said.

Vice President JD Vance, speaking to college students this week, further underscored the conundrum facing Netanyahu and pro-Israel voices when he emphasized that he did not see US support for Israel as sacrosanct — and noted that Trump makes up his own mind when it comes to Israel.

…

Read the full piece in the Jerusalem Post.