Source: The Conversation – UK
Appearing increasingly isolated and weakened, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington this week, where he had a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump – his eighth of the US president’s second term. Netanyahu is desperate to revive his image as the closest ally of the most powerful man in the world, but his star has fallen dramatically in Washington since his last trip.
The US president has problems of his own, so he clearly had little appetite for a photo opportunity with a deeply unpopular Israeli leader widely blamed for convincing him to launch an unwinnable war against a state few Americans saw as a serious threat.
The war has already cost at least US$37.5 billion (£28.2) billion, a 15-25% increase in gasoline prices, persistent inflation, and the deaths of 18 American servicemen.
After months seeking an invitation, Netanyahu got his opportunity while in Washington for the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in Congress.
But even before the Israeli entourage departed for Washington, Trump was plainly irritated by Israeli briefings that Netanyahu intended to present him with intelligence concerning Iran’s deeply buried “Pickaxe Mountain” nuclear facility. In an interview with Fox News, Trump dismissed the idea that Netanyahu could tell him anything new and appeared to lend credence to the view that Israel was trying to push him towards a prolonged campaign in Iran.
Trump also brushed aside Israeli concerns about his intention to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, warning Netanyahu not to try to influence his decision. He then lavished praise on Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and – in a dig at Netanyahu’s international isolation – added that “Turkey’s not a big fan of Israel, not a great fan of Bibi. But they’ve been great for me.”
The lack of fanfare surrounding this meeting underscores Trump’s frustration that he cannot extricate himself from their disastrous joint military enterprise in Iran. After being quietly ushered into the White House through a side entrance, there was no question-and-answer session with journalists – unlike many previous Trump-Netanyahu meetings. Only minimal information has been released by the White House, and Trump has been conspicuously discreet about what was discussed.
Netanyahu under pressure
With an election looming at the end of October, Netanyahu is trailing in the polls behind rival contender, Daid Eisenkot. So his immediate attempt to put a positive spin on the meeting suggested how desperate he is for Trump’s political endorsement.
Shortly after the talks concluded, Netanyahu released a video message declaring, without explanation, that: “This was one of the best conversations I have had with our friend, US President Donald Trump.”
Trump and his war may be unpopular in America, but the opposite is true in Israel. Trump remains extremely popular there. So Netanyahu’s association with him, and the sense of protection this symbolises in Israel, is a significant political asset.
The war is unpopular in the US because few Americans see Iran as a serious threat. Consequently, few care how the war ends so long as a ceasefire or peace deal brings prices down. In contrast, the criticism Netanyahu faces from his own voters is that Israel has not finished the job and that he been forced to agree to a ceasefire which his critics argue has only emboldened Iran.
As recently as last week, Netanyahu’s team would have been buoyed that Trump appeared to be on the cusp of resuming major military operations against Iran. But the day before the meeting, Trump abruptly decided to halt military operations.
He appears to have done so for three reasons. Omani-mediated talks over the Strait of Hormuz, have reportedly been making progress. Meanwhile senior US military commanders have warned the US president that the bombing campaign had reached the limits of its effectiveness and America’s stock of air defence interceptors were becoming dangerously depleted. And the expansion of the conflict into the Red Sea, where attacks from Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Saudi shipping pushed oil prices back above US$100 (£75) a barrel.
Israel’s wishlist
Before he had even arrived at the White House, therefore, Netanyahu had been warned against trying to push Trump towards resuming major operations in Iran. But the Israeli prime minister still has other items on his wishlist. This includes persuading Trump to support Israel’s refusal to withdraw its troops from Lebanon until Hezbollah’s military infrastructure has been completely dismantled.
But the leaked recording of Trump’s expletive-laden rebuke of Netanyahu at the beginning of June for refusing to heed his advice to de-escalate Israeli operations in Lebanon, suggests that this might also be a tough sell for the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu was once able to exploit Trump’s unpredictability and appeal to his instincts for self-aggrandisement. Now, he is a much-diminished figure in Washington, and his political interests seem to best served by actions that Trump has identified as threats to his own.
He is now the one buffeted by Trump’s erratic decision-making and tendency to blame anyone but himself for failure. Shutting Israel out of negotiations with Iran, selling F-35s to Turkey and raising the prospect of a nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia all run counter to Israeli interests.
But Iran’s increasing boldness may yet play in Netanyahu’s favour. Tehran’s has rejected Oman’s proposal to share management of the Strait of Hormuz. It then launched strikes against a US military base in Jordan, despite Trump’s decision to halt military operations. The US and Saudi Arabia responded by attacking Iran-based militias in Iraq.
Iran’s refusal to abandon its core strategic objectives, and its apparent interpretation of Trump’s restraint as weakness, may ultimately give Netanyahu the renewed US involvement in the conflict he has been seeking.
Christian Emery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Original source: https://analysis1.mil-osi.com/2026/07/29/is-netanyahus-star-waning-in-washington-his-latest-meeting-with-trump-suggests-it-may-be/