And Then the Bubble Burst

The cynic in even the most ardent Trump supporter in Israel had to have this in the back of his mind: at one point or another, the president who has been, objectively speaking, more supportive of Israel than any other that came before him, would reel it back in. The circumstances would be speculative, but the results would be the same. 

    It is a pretty straightforward series of events: Trump made a business trip to Arab countries with the intention of getting business from the Arabs. Of course, in order to get, he had to give. That is where we come in. Suddenly he is concerned for the starving in Gaza. His comment was not confrontational, but rather observational. But it indicated a different angle being played. Indeed, suddenly there was a push for more aid, and unilaterally, Netanyahu made the decision to lift the blockade. Not that difficult a puzzle to piece together. 

        There was also no call for a ceasefire, or an expectation that we will have to be more careful, and all that jazz from previous administrations. But no doubt, it has changed things. 

     It did not take long. Within days of Trump’s call for more humanitarian aid, Canada, England and France issued a warning of consequences if Israel does not, in essence, surrender to Hamas. From calling for an end to the war to demanding a return to the two-state solution, the myopia and naivete of their position only strengthens the resolve of the enemy. And the timing is telling. 

Netanyahu and Trump have a good relationship. The push and acquiescence look like it took place with an understanding that we will not get everything our way all the time, but it will still be good for both of us. 

And yet, it was not all that long ago that King Abdullah of Jordan sat with Trump in the Oval Office, listening to the president talk about how Jordan and Egypt need to be more responsible for the Palestinians. He looked like a 6-year-old who was afraid to ask permission to be excused. 

And then the bubble burst.