Trump should call out Netanyahu publicly for prolonging the conflict. He has the cards. Use them.

Having the courage to tell a friend he is wrong is hard. It’s no different in international diplomacy. Trump’s reported expletive-ridden phone call with Netanyahu – although Tel Aviv denies any personal attacks from the American president – shows how complicated the US-Israel relationship has become in the context of the Iran war. Trump publicly still maintains an image of coordination with the Israelis. But the cracks are showing.
It’s apparent Tel Aviv’s goals for this war are vastly different from Washington’s. The latter, despite Trump’s contradictory messaging, can be boiled down to denying Iran a nuclear bomb. The former seemingly aim to reorient West Asian geopolitical landscape in favour of Israel. Hence, Tel Aviv appears to be following a three-pronged approach – hit Iran to weaken the regime and its regional sinews, make it impossible to have a viable Palestine state – Netanyahu’s ordered reoccupation of 70% of Gaza – and create a buffer zone with Lebanon. The problem: serious economic pain for the world through the Iranian closure of Hormuz.

But Tel Aviv, backstopped by US, doesn’t seem to care. And when an Israeli PM seemingly appears to give short shrift to an American president on ending the war, the world suffers. The equation is simple: Iran wants an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. Lebanon wants a stop to the war that has killed more than 3,400 of its residents. Palestinians, who have suffered tremendously, want their nightmare to end. Hamas and Hezbollah are hugely weakened and battered. Yet, Netanyahu pursues policies that seem to sync with Israeli radicals dreaming of ‘Greater Israel’.

So, Trump – also looking for an exit – now has two problems: the Ayatollahs and Netanyahu. Tehran, with its Hormuz chokehold, is willing to wait for what it sees as a fair deal. That’s bad for Trump and the world. Netanyahu wants to continue the war – again bad for Trump and the world. Trump isn’t the first US president to be frustrated with Netanyahu. But Bibi is increasingly a stumbling block to peace and global stability. Perhaps it’s time for Trump to publicly call out his pal on this. He has the cards.

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