He promised total victory for Israel, but standing next to Donald Trump at the White House, it was Benjamin Netanyahu who looked defeated.
Israel's prime minister was saying all the right things about the peace deal he had just agreed to, but he seemed deflated, his voice hoarse and his energy dimmed, as he praised Trump as the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.
This friendship, however, could cost him his government.
Netanyahu's far-right allies have threatened to leave—potentially collapsing—his government if he makes too many concessions in ending the war. Coalition partners like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir are openly expressing their desire to annex Gaza, drive out Palestinians, and re-establish Jewish settlements there.
They, along with Netanyahu, have staunchly opposed any role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and any pathway to a Palestinian state. The deal negotiated outlines these issues, albeit with significant caveats.
Trump's intervention risks not only Netanyahu’s political standing but also the stability of Israel's government in exchange for a historic legacy of peace and new ties with Arab neighbors.
Signs before Netanyahu's departure for Washington hinted at his awareness of this consequential choice. Israeli President Isaac Herzog suggested a potential pardon for Netanyahu in his ongoing corruption cases—indicative of the precarious path he walks between political survival and facing legal accountability.
Despite this opportunity for a regional legacy, Netanyahu seems reluctant to completely capitulate. He has been quick to assert that his commitments in the deal do not equate to endorsing a Palestinian state: Absolutely not. It's not even written in the agreement, he claimed.
It appears he aims to hold his government together long enough to possibly shift polling trends, crucial ahead of potential elections. Adding to his complexity is the ongoing conflict, which some speculate Netanyahu might prefer to prolong, banking on Hamas rejecting terms that could obligate a ceasefire, allowing him to assert Israel’s right to pursue total victory.
This moment reveals how the consequence of forgoing peace has grown dire, with the paradox that avoiding it might be more perilous than engaging with it. The question looms: if Trump managed to nudge Netanyahu toward this path, why did President Biden falter when a similar deal was proposed nine months earlier, resulting in countless lives lost?
