Saturday, March 12, 2016

On the Other Hand, Is Donald Trump Benjamin Netanyahu's Worst Nightmare?




Benjamin Netanyahu has a problem. For starters, he has tied Israel to the GOP thanks to his stunt appearance before Congress to attack Obama's (and five allies') nuclear weapons deal with Iran. Now, with the Republican Party beginning to look like Humpty Dumpty atop that wall, Israelis are getting nervous about what awaits.

The rise of Donald Trump certainly suggests that the right-wing Israeli politicians badly misread the Republican political scene. Trump has tapped into a large and growing stratum of citizens who never cared very much about foreign policy, much less Israel-Palestine specifically. And, now that that indifference has been plainly revealed on the Republican side of the ledger, it may not be long before Democratic voters also start to say, loud enough for their leaders to hear, that Israel isn’t important to them either. As [Ha'aretz correspondent, Chemi] Shaley suggests, what is happening here is the exposure of Israel’s weakness in the United States.

Thus, for the first time it is becoming publicly noticeable that a lot of voters don’t regard Israel as a linchpin ally upholding democracy in the Middle East. In fact, Israel simply is not a priority as far as they are concerned. However, start emphasizing to this largely isolationist-minded crowd the huge amount of their tax money that goes to Israel, and not caring might quickly turn to hostility. Mr. Trump is certainly not above providing the little push necessary for this to happen. How might this scenario play itself out?

As Shaley points out, “Trump refuses to acknowledge United Jerusalem [and] wants to remain neutral so that he can broker a peace deal with the Palestinians, which is a challenge worthy of a master dealmaker like him.” Netanyahu will loudly express his opposition. Perhaps he will refuse to deal with Trump at all. But Trump, unlike Obama, will not respond to Netanyahu’s insults with discretion. He will readily blame Israel for any failure and do it loudly and disparagingly. Then he might start to publicly question why the U.S. should be wasting vast amounts of treasure on such an unthankful nation as Israel. This could be a public relations disaster from which the Israelis will not be able to recover.

...increasing numbers of U.S. Jews are losing patience in the ever stubborn shenanigans of the Zionist state. And as they do so, Israel loses their support.

The truth is that today’s Zionists have bought a political elite and not much more. Right now they can rely on a thin veneer of politicos who are in the process of losing influence with an alienated citizenry. When the politicians make their adjustments to this new environment, one of the casualties may well be the U.S. alliance with Israel. Hillary, Bernie, Ted and Marco may be the last generation of American politicians who will give Benjamin Netanyahu and his ilk the time of day.

8 comments:

Owen Gray said...

When you ride on the back of the tiger, Mound . . .

The Mound of Sound said...


Yup

Anonymous said...

I despise Trump, but it's interesting that he might actually be acknowledged for speaking the truth (so you say). If he "loudly and disparagingly" blames Israel for their (multiple) failures - I hope so. It's way overdue from a U.S. politician (or hack, like Trump). Too many people have remained too silent for too long. There is no reason that I can think of for the U.S. to give billions in aid to Israel or to turn a blind eye to its many atrocities in the region. So if this hack does get (s)Elected, then lets hope he does what you said.

Anonymous said...

Trump might be populist but, so far, he did not stray too much from "speaking the truth."
On the other hand, the ride on tiger or donkey/elephant is close to establishing its goal...
A..non

Dana said...

Trump could also herald the demise of NATO. Pretty hard to imagine any NATO member country welcoming him in a celebratory way. He won't be invited to address any legislative bodies. And he will bluster and threaten in response...

Likewise the permanent US seat on the Security Council at the UN could come become vacant.

China might finally bite the bullet and call in their debt.

It would all be chaotic as hell in the short run but looking longer it could also be a very good thing.

The Mound of Sound said...

I have wondered if America's intelligence/defence apparatus would ever allow Trump to be sworn into office. There are some very powerful types, some of them in the "dark government" ranks, who are all too well aware of the catastrophe Trump could inflict on America. They might be asking, "where is Lee Harvey Oswald now that we need him?"

Dana said...

Wondered that myself.

Trouble is that some of his supporters would go after any Democrat handy. Others of them would go after any Republican.

I don't think the agencies that tried to invent 'sploding cigars and Iraqi weapons of mass destruction has the ingenuity to pull of such an event in a manner that would not incite civil war.

Dana said...

And it's worth noting that he now has SS protection which agency I am certain harbours members who are very sympatici with Don Trump.