The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump
They may have to think again
Trump unlike Biden, also never tried to restrain Israel’s military moves in Gaza So when Trump returned to power, Netanyahu likely expected a blank check
Netanyahu may have believed he could manipulate the famously mercurial ex-president — as many credit him with having done in 2018 when Netanyahu persuaded Trump to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal (In retrospect, perhaps Trump was simply eager to rip apart a deal struck by Barack Obama)
At the heart of these developments lies an interesting truth: Trump is not former President Theodore Roosevelt
Where Roosevelt said “Speak softly and carry a big stick” Trump does the opposite Trump speaks loudly — often absurdly so — but for all his bluster, Trump is, at least militarily, something of a pacifist
1. Trump's wars are trade wars 2. Trump prizes deals that let him declare victory without firing a shot
Though there have been no public declarations of a rift, the signs are increasingly visible
