Is Netanyahu’s Trump card losing its power in Israel?

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s long-standing political argument that he can best manage Israel’s relationship with Washington is facing renewed scrutiny as he meets US President Donald Trump in Washington on Tuesday. The visit, Netanyahu’s first since the war with Iran began, comes ahead of a late-October Israeli election and while he continues to face a corruption trial.

According to the report, Netanyahu has for years emphasized his familiarity with US politics and personal ties to American leaders as a core part of his appeal to Israeli voters. But Al Jazeera says the relationship with Trump appears more strained amid a stalled war with Iran, US willingness to pursue regional deals without Israeli input, and rising criticism of Israel in parts of the American right. Reported points of friction include Washington’s consideration of F-35 sales to Turkiye, a nuclear cooperation deal with Saudi Arabia, and concerns about violence by Israeli settlers.

Al Jazeera cites former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas as arguing that the trip is aimed partly at reassuring Israelis that Netanyahu’s link to Trump remains intact, and possibly at encouraging further public support from Trump regarding Netanyahu’s legal troubles. The article also quotes analysts and former aides who say Netanyahu’s standing in Washington has weakened, even among some Republicans who have traditionally supported Israel.

The significance is domestic as well as diplomatic: if Netanyahu can no longer portray himself as uniquely influential in the United States, one of his central election messages may lose force. The report notes, however, that few observers expect open hostility during the visit, with public displays of warmth still likely.