U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu share a common fate. The House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats,
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu share a common fate. The House of Representatives, controlled by Democrats, launched an inquiry into Trump’s impeachment. In Israel, Netanyahu was charged on three counts. Netanyahu’s situation is worse than Trump’s. Because even if the House of Representatives decides to impeach, it must be approved by the Senate, where republicans hold the majority.
Trump was Netanyahu’s strongest supporter. Netanyahu called the Trump administration “the most pro-Israeli administration in U.S. history.” Trump is on the one hand trying to fend off the prosecution, while on the other is preparing for the 2020 elections. Democrats seem to be focused on toppling Trump. Even if the Democrats lose the presidential election, there is another danger that awaits Trump with regards to winning a majority in the Senate. In such a case, the Democrats will be able to control both houses of the “U.S. Congress.”
The elections that are expected to be renewed in both the U.S. and Israel follow a course that can affect one another. Trump needs Netanyahu to implement the so-called “Israel-Palestine Peace Agreement.” Netanyah also has an interest in Trump’s continued support.
Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. are also taking positions ahead of the Israeli elections. The Democrats who want to bring Trump down do not want Netanyahu to win. An essential segment of American Jews want both Trump and Netanyahu to lose. The right wing of the Israeli Lobby sees the fate of Trump and Netanyahu as entwined. The American radical Right who supports Trump is also collaborating with the right-wing of the Israeli Lobby. On the other hand, the Christian-Zionist Evangelicals, who rely on Trump’s Presidency, are working with their forces to keep Netanyahu in power.
Aaron Klein, director of the Jerusalem Bureau of the radical Right-wing Breitbart News, a supporter of Trump, burst into the spotlight as Netanyahu’s unofficial adviser, while Steve Bannon, former director of Breitbart, returned to defend Trump again. Although he was a Catholic Right winger, Bannon described himself as a Christian-Zionist and was behind Trump’s Israeli policy. Bannon, fired by Trump from his post as “chief strategist” in the White House, described Breitbart as the most pro-Israeli site in the United States. Bannon led Breitbart, and he appointed Klein, who is of Jewish origin as head of the Jerusalem Bureau. The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), which represents the far right wing of the “Israeli Lobby”, worked to shield Bannon against attacks from liberal and Democrat Jews.
Bannon returned to Breitbart after being expelled from the White House. With the mysterious financial support behind him, Bannon tried to rally the far Right populist parties in Europe on a common front on the basis of opposition to the European Union. Bannon returned to the United States having failed to achieve the expected results, reuniting under “Breitbart” with his old friends who all vowed to be on the frontline to defend Trump against Democrats. This attempt is interpreted as Bannon’s return to the battleground.
It was noteworthy that Aaron Klein, who shared the same worldview with Bannon, voluntarily provided free advice to Netanyahu’s public relations campaign. Klein is said to have given advice by attending some meetings with Netanyahu. On the other hand, John McLaughlin, one of Netanyahu’s U.S. surveyors, stepped in. Speaking on a radio show, McLaughlin said Democrats wanted to overthrow Trump and Netanyahu. McLaughlin works for both Netanyahu and Trump.
Judged by these connections, the fates of Trump and Netanyahu seem to be entwined. One of them losing will spell the other’s demise.