How Trump Bullied Israel Into Punishing His Political Opponents, to the Jewish State’s Great Detriment

https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/289728/trump-bullied-israel-into-punishing-his-opponents

On July 19, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, announced that Israel would permit entry to U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, despite their support for boycotting the Jewish state: “Out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America, we would not deny entry to any member of Congress into Israel.” Dermer, Netanyahu’s closest confidant and colloquially known as “Bibi’s Brain,” had reportedly recommended this course to his boss. As Haaretz correspondent Amir Tibon later reported, the decision was made to focus on this past week’s pro-Israel visit of 41 Democratic representatives, led by House Whip Steny Hoyer, rather than give more oxygen to an anti-Israel trip by just two Democratic congresswomen.

That entire plan, however, was detonated by Donald Trump for his own political purposes, to Israel’s great detriment. The president’s effort to undermine and alter the Israeli government’s approach began in early August, when Axios’ Barak Ravid reported that Trump was privately signaling that Israel should bar both Omar and Tlaib—personal antagonists who he had repeatedly assailed, often in bigoted terms. “Trump’s private views have reached the top level of the Israeli government,” Ravid reported.

Trump’s complaint put Netanyahu and his government in a bind—between their own original judgment that banning members of Congress would create a major rift with American Democrats and an erratic president who could be alienated by the smallest slight. Netanyahu himself, facing a tough reelection fight, could not afford a spat with Trump—the man whose face he had festooned on giant campaign posters. In an effort to buy time, the government announced on Thursday morning that it was “reconsidering” its position. Then Trump forced the issue: