 "President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. File image/ Reuters")
US President-elect Donald Trump stirred a storm after he shared a provocative video, calling Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “deep, dark son of a bitch”. The remarks from the Republican firebrand came just weeks after Netanyahu said that he and Trump had a “very friendly, warm” discussion about hostage negotiations and Syria policy.
Trump shared the video on his social media platform TruthSocial. The clip features economist Jeffrey Sachs accusing Netanyahu of manipulating the US foreign policy and orchestrating an “endless war” in Gaza and the Middle East.
In the video, Sachs was interviewed by journalist Tucker Carlson who claimed that the Israeli premier has pursued a systematic strategy since 1995 to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah by targeting their supporting governments in Iraq, Iran and Syria.
“[Netanyahu’s] gotten us into endless wars and because of the power of all of this in US politics, he’s gotten his way,” Sachs replied, referring to the influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups. Trump’s main motive behind sharing the video continues to remain unclear.
The timing of it all
It is pertinent to note that the president-elect is known for re-posting clips that go against Washington’s established policies. However, the clip came at a crucial time when intensive diplomatic efforts are underway by Egypt, Qatar and the current US administration to broker a truce deal between Israel and Hamas that would include hostage releases.
Trump’s upcoming team also share controversial opinions about the ongoing war. His pick for the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also opposed a Gaza ceasefire and has called Israel to “destroy every element” of Hamas. Meanwhile, his pick for the US Ambassador to the UN, Elise Stefanik, has dismissed the United Nations as a “cesspool of antisemitism” for its criticism of civilian deaths in Gaza.
Trump’s pick for ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has also rejected terminology like occupied Palestinian territories. “There’s no such thing as a West Bank,” Huckabee said during a 2017 visit to Israel. Huckabee, an evangelical Christian, had previously said “There’s no such thing as a Palestinian”. The president-elect himself said that there will be “hell to pay” if Hamas does not release its hostages before he takes office.
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More ShortsTrump and Netanyahu’s turbulent ties
The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has been a turbulent one and has often been described as transactional. During Trump’s first bid to the White House, he delivered significant diplomatic wins for Netanyahu, including recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 and supporting the Abraham Accords with Gulf states.
In the recent past, the president-elect also hosted the Israeli premier at Mar-a-Lago during his US trip. However, in 2020, Trump blasted Netanyahu for congratulating the current US President Joe Biden for winning the elections. At that time Trump told Axios: “I haven’t spoken to [the Israeli leader] since. F**k him.”
Despite the clashes, many believe that Trump’s return to the White House could prove advantageous for Netanyahu’s expansionist policies, particularly regarding settlement expansion and potential annexation in the West Bank. While responding to the news, Sachs told The Guardian that while he was not advising Trump, he is hoping his administration changes its outlook towards Israel.
“I do not know Trump’s disposition on these issues, but I do very much hope that he frees US foreign policy from the grip of the cruel, ineffective, illegal and destructive policies of Netanyahu,” he averred.
With inputs from agencies.