Bibi Netanyahu has reacted angrily to reporting in the NY Times and Israel’s Channel 12 that indicates the Trump administration has put him on short leash, and that the US is dictating much of the Israeli decision-making around Gaza. An unnamed US official told Axios’ Barak Ravid: “he better not fuck up the ceasefire, because if he fucks it up, Trump will fuck him.”
Nevertheless, Netanyahu, being the petty baby he is, stomped his foot and said: “Nobody tells Bibi what to do!” Or something close to that:
…“I want to make one thing clear — our security policy is in our own hands. Israel does not seek anyone’s approval for that. We control our own security and we have also made clear regarding international forces that Israel will determine which forces are unacceptable to us — that is how we act and will continue to act.
“This, of course, is accepted by the United States, as its most senior representatives have said in recent days,” he said, adding that “we will continue to control our fate.”
Known as a classic liar, he is bluffing when he contends that US “senior representatives” affirmed that Israel controls its own fate. If that were the case, officials wouldn’t need to tell him that. In fact, the IDF’s latest attack was coordinated with CENTCOM, the US military command for the Middle East. It approved the mission and had final word. The IDF planned and executed the attack. But the US had veto power. Not Bibi. Ynet’s report made this clear:
Because of the delicate nature of Israeli operations in Gaza during [the] U.S.-mediated ceasefire…the intelligence was routed through multiple levels: from the Southern Command, via the Operations Branch…the Intelligence Directorate…to Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. From there, the matter was referred to the political echelon [Netanyahu] and then to [CENTCOM] before the strike proceeded.
“Only after U.S. coordination was secured did the IDF move…A senior [Israeli] military official added that U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff was also briefed on the incident…
Previously, such a strike might have been authorized at the division or brigade commander level, but now, U.S. oversight extends even to such operations to safeguard the ceasefire and the rules negotiated with Washington.
A warning from a senior US official not to “fuck up” the ceasefire, clearly means you only control your own fate to the extent that you do what we (the US) say. Which isn’t controlling your own fate. It is clear, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the US has final say on every major move the IDF–and by extention Bibi-makes. As I wrote in recent posts, this is a remarkable break from precedent. It is the first time any US administration has dictated to Israel what it may or may not do, since the Eisenhower era. And it’s high time.
It’s not without irony that Democratic presidents never succeeded in doing so, despite holding positions that conflicted with Israel’s. Through fear, intimidation or indifference, they permitted Israel to ride roughshod over its neighbors and the US itself. The result has been a disastrous trail of blood and mayhem over the past 80 years.
There are two reasons Kamala Harris lost the last election. One is Joe Biden’s atrocious, ineffectual approach to the Gaza war. Then Harris’ own decision to follow in his footsteps and do nothing, while speaking meaningless bromides about deep concern, caring, empathy, etc. There were other reasons, of course. But these are the ones relevant to this issue.
It’s too soon to tell whether anything has fundamentally shifted with the new circumstances. Of course, given Trump’s exceedingly erratic course, everything could go south in a minute. But the first signs are promising that change is in the air.
None of this is to excuse the horror show he is. Watching his presidency is like being stuck in the eye by a thousand needles. He’s certainly not trying to maintain the ceasefire out of the goodness of his heart. There’s no goodness there. Like everything he does, he’s in it for the grift or the glory.
This analysis is by no means an endorsement of Trump’s overall policies or presidency. But if he can stop the slaughter in Gaza, then he’s owed some credit.
Watermelon Flavor
Yeah but… now that the US is in charge, what happens is really on us. What we are looking at and hearing about in Gaza was and still is to a (I believe) large extent because we supported this and allowed it. Now the squeeze is tighter and more out in the open. Trump has an opportunity- and he has had many that he missed and is missing ( with Putin). We want the suffering to end- and something very different in our leadership, cruel and self-serving. But maybe the mad dog approach will work Trump needs a win badly.
Based on past US-Israel record, the US controlling Israel’s action is a pretty low bar, it pretty much still a Carte Blanche to do anything Israel wants. Even now, the so-called, “Ceasefire” is being breached by Israel at a daily level; food and medical supplies are still being choked down and anyone who can lead Palestinians into a peace with Israel, is still in jail and being tortured.
But the fig-leaf works for the US and the Western nations.
RE: “None of this is to excuse the horror show he (i.e., Donald Trump) is. Watching his presidency is like being stuck in the eye by a thousand needles.”
HANNAH ARENDT (1967): “The result of a consistent and total substitution of lies for factual truth is not that the lie will now be accepted as truth, and truth be defamed as lie, but that the sense by which we take our bearings in the real world – and the category of truth versus falsehood is among the mental means to this end – is being destroyed.”