Media: Israeli PM considers open confrontation with Trump

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering publicly confronting US President Donald Trump over the countries’ military presence in Gaza and Lebanon, as he believes conditions being imposed by Washington run counter to Israel’s interests, Al-Monitor reports, citing sources close to the prime minister.

One of the sources said Netanyahu is on the edge.

"He is trying to decide whether to go head-to-head with the US administration on Gaza and Lebanon. He knows the costs, but the current situation is not much better,” the source noted.

According to the sources, Trump has shifted to issuing ultimatums in his talks with Netanyahu that give little consideration to Israel’s interests. The two leaders’ personal relationship has also deteriorated significantly in recent months. Ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections, Netanyahu believes publicly confronting Trump and strongly defending Israel’s national security interests before the United States could boost the standing of his Likud party.

“Netanyahu is said to be nearing the conclusion that confronting Trump before the elections would be better than boasting of a strong friendship with the president, which is no longer the case,” the source stressed.

Netanyahu’s latest meeting with Trump’s son-in-law and informal representative, Jared Kushner, produced a compromise outcome, as the Israeli prime minister maintained that Israeli forces cannot withdraw from Gaza before the disarmament of the Palestinian militant group Hamas begins.

"Trump needs to preserve his achievement in stopping the Israel-Hamas war, at least until the midterms. Netanyahu needs Hamas’ disarmament as a condition for an Israeli withdrawal, at least until the elections. Both sides have succeeded in moving on, until the next crisis," Netanyahu’s associate added.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov