- Trump-Netanyahu ties strained post-2020 election
- Netanyahu seeks to regain Trump’s favor
- Netanyahu to address Congress, meet Biden
In 2021, former US President Donald Trump informed Israeli journalist Barak Ravid that his relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu had deteriorated after the Israeli prime minister congratulated Joe Biden on winning the 2020 US presidential election.
“F*** him,” Trump stated during the interview.
“I liked Bibi,” Trump admitted at the time. I still like Bibi. But I also enjoy loyalty.
“Trump saw this as a betrayal,” Eyal Lurie-Pardes of the Middle East Institute explained. Trump has been highly supportive of Israel but critical of Netanyahu, accusing him of allowing [October 7] to happen and of being weaker than before.
“Trump doesn’t like to pick a losing partner,” he mentioned.
Now, as the chances of Republican presidential nominee Trump, who led Biden in national polls before dropping out of the US election this weekend, returning to the White House after November’s election grow, Netanyahu has been working hard to regain Trump’s favor, according to analysts. The two had a tight relationship during Trump’s presidency, and the Israeli leader has been trying to rebuild their friendship.
Since the 1980s, Netanyahu has formed alliances with the Republican Party, the right, and Christian Evangelicals, according to Zachary Lockman, a professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at New York University. This is who he sees as his most reliable allies because, if he understands correctly, the Democratic Party includes forces who are increasingly critical of Israel. Biden is a remnant of the past.
The Israeli prime minister frequently praised Trump, referring to him in 2020 as “the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”
Trump frequently repaid the compliments. 2020, the then-US president gave Netanyahu a ceremonial gold key to the White House.
It is the key to our country and our hearts. Trump told Netanyahu, “You’ve been an amazing leader for a long time.”
Resuming Netanyahu’s Agenda
Netanyahu is in Washington, DC, to address the United States Congress on July 24 this week.
The Israeli Prime Minister is due to meet with Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who has nearly secured the Democratic Party’s candidacy for the November presidential election following Biden’s departure from the contest. Harris, as Vice President, has been a strong backer of Israel’s attack on Gaza, but according to sources, he will not chair the session of Congress when Netanyahu speaks.
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There is no word yet on whether Netanyahu will see Trump, who survived an assassination attempt on July 13. However, Netanyahu’s side has long sought to mend relations with Trump. According to Axios, a Netanyahu loyalist even went to Trump’s Florida mansion, Mar-a-Lago, to recite portions from Netanyahu’s book that praised the former president.
