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Is Netanyahu's alliance with Trump costing him his political career?

2025-09-30 20:41:53Pikëpamje SHKRUAR NGA LUCY WILLIAMSON
Is Netanyahu's alliance with Trump costing him his political career?
Benjamin Netanyahu

Lucy Williamson – BBC News

Benjamin Netanyahu promised “total victory” for Israel, but on Monday, as he stood next to Donald Trump at the White House, he seemed defeated. The Israeli prime minister spoke in the right words about the peace deal he had just signed, but his tone was weak, his voice tired and his energy waning, as he called Trump “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”

This friendship, however, could cost him the government. His far-right allies, such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, have warned that they will leave, leading to the collapse of the governing coalition, if Netanyahu makes too many concessions to end the war. They have made no secret of their desire to annex Gaza, expel the Palestinians and restore Jewish settlements there.

They, like Netanyahu himself, have been categorically against any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and against any path that could lead to a Palestinian state. But the new agreement, with many reservations, foresees precisely these elements.

Trump knows full well that by pushing Netanyahu into this deal, he is forcing him to risk his own government. In return, he is offered the possibility of a historic legacy: a more peaceful future for the region and new ties between Israel and its Arab neighbors.

Signs that this moment was approaching appeared even before Netanyahu's trip to Washington. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a radio interview that he was considering pardoning Netanyahu for the corruption charges he faces in court. These processes, according to critics, are one of the reasons why Netanyahu does not want to leave power, since without the "shield" of his office, he would face justice directly.

However, even the political offer now being made to him, a regional inheritance in exchange for the government and perhaps his entire career, does not seem to have fully convinced him. In his first reaction after the signing, Netanyahu tried to assure the Israeli public that he did not accept a Palestinian state. “Absolutely not. It is not even written in the agreement,” he told the cameras. “But we have said one thing, that we will strongly oppose the creation of a Palestinian state.”

Israeli media reports indicate that the cabinet will not vote on the full terms of the deal, but only on the exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. This raises the question: what strategy is Netanyahu pursuing? Is he trying to keep the coalition alive long enough to manipulate public opinion again, at a time when polls predict an election defeat for him? Or is he simply hoping that Hamas will reject the deal, or lose control of its commanders in Gaza, and that the war will not stop at all?

At a tense press conference in Washington, Netanyahu emphasized, with Trump's backing, that Israel would have a free hand to "finish the job" if Hamas did not comply. In this light, this agreement, however difficult to explain, could be the price of continued American support for the war.

Netanyahu is known as a master of political maneuvering, buying time amid numerous blockades. He has previously negotiated and truced, only to back down when the final end of the war was in question. Many believe he never intended to negotiate an end to the conflict, only Hamas's capitulation on Israel's terms. But it's hard to maintain an image of "total victory" when you're publicly conceding points you've opposed for a career - and waiting for the enemy to react.

For the first time since the war began, it seems that the consequences of rejecting the deal are more severe than the consequences of accepting it. And a serious question remains: if Trump forced Netanyahu to choose between his ally in Washington and his allies in government, why didn't Joe Biden do the same when a similar deal was on the table nine months ago, when another 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza were still alive?


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