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Netanyahu is set to be ousted as Israel’s prime minister after 12 years in power. Experts say he will view the United States and the Republicans as a path to his political revival. His impending replacement is much less influential in the US, which could create some space for Biden. See more stories on the Insider Business page.
After 12 years in power, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on the verge of being ousted. Although he has reached a low point in his historic career, experts and former US diplomats say Netanyahu will remain a force to be reckoned with and that his political demise may actually push the Israeli leader to become more involved in US politics and elections.
Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving leader, has tremendous influence in the United States – particularly with Republicans and evangelicals. He has forged a particularly close relationship with former President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly taken controversial steps on US-Israel relations that align with Netanyahu’s agenda and have helped bolster the Israeli leader’s image.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if [Netanyahu] “He starts to interfere in our elections on a personal level and connects himself more with Trump and Trump, playing the Republican card,” Shibley Telhami, the Anwar Sadat Professor of Peace and Development at the University of Maryland, told Insider.
Telhami added, “Don’t underestimate it, because he will not only focus on Israeli politics – he thinks he has a card to play in American politics. And I think he does, especially given our polarized political environment.”
Telhami said that people on the far right in the United States who are looking for allies against the Biden administration could see Netanyahu as a top candidate in this regard. With the Democratic Party increasingly divided over US-Israel relations, and progressive pressure toward an approach showing more concern for the Palestinians, Netanyahu could look to exploit the situation.
Telhami said Netanyahu sees US politics as “part of his legitimacy,” and “and because he has attached himself so closely to Republican politics and even Trump personally — and certainly Trump’s men like Jared Kushner and David Friedman — he will be rooting for Republicans to win.”
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu show the media the declaration signed by Trump regarding recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights after their meeting outside the West Wing of the White House on March 25, 2019 in Washington, DC. Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images
The Israeli leader has already inserted himself into American affairs in ways that other world leaders have not dared to. While the Obama administration worked to finalize the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, for example, Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress with the goal of torpedoing the agreement. Congressional Republicans invited Netanyahu to deliver the speech without consulting the White House, and the speech was considered a major insult to then-President Barack Obama.
Telhami said he could no longer free Netanyahu being prime minister to become more intrusive in the US, meaning he would not have to be aware of the implications of his actions.
If the deal to form a new government is approved by a shaky coalition of eight opposition parties in the Knesset – Israel’s parliament – on Sunday, Netanyahu will be replaced as prime minister by Naftali Bennett, his former chief of staff and speaker of parliament. Right-wing party.
Bennett considers himself to be far right than Netanyahu.
He supports the expansion of Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the annexation of most Palestinian land – both considered illegal under international law. Bennett also opposes the two-state solution, which has been a cornerstone of US policy toward Israel and Palestine for decades (although Trump’s approach to the region has undermined that goal).
But if Israeli lawmakers vote to approve the fragile coalition, much of Bennett’s energy will be spent trying to keep the alliance together. Meanwhile, Netanyahu will focus his efforts on dismantling the government.
Naftali Bennett speaks to the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 30, 2021. Yonatan Sindel / Pool via AP
At least in the short term, [Netanyahu] He will be the leader of the opposition. This is a position that has a prominent place in the Israeli system… In this role, he will travel to the capital… and his voice will be heard. He will use it not just to express his views, but to try to pressure Bennett and in the coalition to try to divide him,” according to a former US diplomat who spoke to Insider on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the topic.
Although Netanyahu will view the United States as the venue for his political revival, this does not necessarily mean that the Biden administration will suddenly become preoccupied with the Middle East. President Joe Biden has not made the region a top foreign policy priority, and that is unlikely to change. While Netanyahu has become a household name in American politics, Bennett is somewhat unknown and does not have the same influence or influence.
“Assuming Bennett becomes prime minister, he will come to DC, and he will deal with Biden. They will agree on some things, they will disagree on others. He will visit Hill — but he will not pack the same punch. That gives Biden some space,” said the former diplomat. .
But as Biden learned from the recent fighting between Israel and Hamas, neglecting the Middle East as president of the United States could have dire consequences.
Meanwhile, the former diplomat said:[Netanyahu] He clearly has relationships, friendships, or alliances with Republican and Evangelical politicians. I’m sure there will be someone who will continue to give him a platform and raise his voice. The [Israeli] The government will be shaky…There are certainly reasons why it can’t stay and then he will have a chance to come back as prime minister. I do not remove it from the story. He will still have a voice.”
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