The Cost of Doing Business with President Trump

“If we become a vassal state, we will not survive,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared.

Then he bent the knee to President Donald Trump.

Netanyahu and his predecessors genuflect to all American presidents because, like it or not, Israel depends on the United States for its survival. Despite its formidable military, Israel has become inextricably bound to American patronage.

Netanyahu talks a good game but plays by American rules. From responses to Iranian attacks to ceasefires with Lebanon and Gaza, Israel’s decisions have been guided, if not dictated, by Presidents Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

If Netanyahu wanted an example of a leader unafraid to fight for his country’s interests in the face of a bully, he needs to look no further than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After standing up to Russia’s bully for three years, Zelensky showed no fear of Trump, who was angered when he discovered the Ukrainian was not a sycophant. It was a moment of speaking truth to power that evoked the moral stance Elie Wiesel took when he stood in front of Ronald Reagan and implored him to cancel a visit to a cemetery where Nazi war dead were buried.

Zelensky displayed national pride and courage rarely found outside the cinema. I was reminded of the scene in “Love Actually” where the British prime minister, played by Hugh Grant, is initially inclined to avoid a confrontation with the visiting American President until he realizes he is a Trump-like bully, at which point Grant tells the press:

I fear that this has become a bad relationship, a relationship based on the President taking exactly what he wants and casually ignoring all those things that really matter to Britain. We may be a small country, but we’re a great one, too…. And a friend who bullies us is no longer a friend. And since bullies only respond to strength, from now onward I will be prepared to be much stronger. And the President should be prepared for that.”

Interestingly, the real British Prime Minister met Trump before Zelensky and proved to be no Hugh Grant.

The question that arose after the Zelensky meeting was whether Trump could betray Israel as he did Ukraine.

Trump’s history suggests a pattern of transactional relationships, where national interests are secondary to personal ego. Remember, Trump’s stated goal is peace, which is not consistent with Netanyahu’s objective of destroying Hamas. Trump compelled Israel to accept a ceasefire before finishing the mission in Gaza. Even after the collapse of the hostage negotiations, he is holding Israel back.

Ukraine, like Israel, is fighting for its survival. But unlike Ukraine, which enjoys European support, Israel stands largely isolated, magnifying its dependence on the US and its susceptibility to pressure from the White House.

Zelensky discovered that standing up to a bully can be costly, especially one like Trump, whose ego demands constant appeasement. Zelensky failed to apologize for his behavior and appearance (Trump was angry he didn’t wear a suit) and now his country is being punished for his ingratitude.

Netanyahu is keenly aware that he’s walking a fine line, just one misstep away from losing Trump’s crucial support, as he did after congratulating Joe Biden on his victory in the “rigged” 2020 election. Trump already harbors a grudge against Jews, having frequently labeled them ungrateful for the support he gave Israel during his first term. He’s made no secret of his belief that Jews voting for Democrats are crazy.

Netanyahu’s chest-thumping was an effort to channel Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who grew angry after Ronald Reagan, perhaps the most pro-Israel President in history, punished Israel after Israel destroyed Iraq’s nuclear reactor after Israel bombed Beirut, and after the annexation of the Golan Heights. Begin told US Ambassador Samuel Lewis (he didn’t say it to Reagan’s face): “Are we a vassal state of yours? Are we a banana republic?”

Consider Israel’s vote at the UN, aligning with Russia against Ukraine’s territorial integrity. This unprecedented move, driven by intense American pressure, demonstrates the extent of Israel’s subservience—the excuse of Ukraine’s past UN votes against Israel crumbles under scrutiny. Everyone but the US and Micronesia typically vote against Israel. The vote should have been a matter of principle but was cast instead for expedience. As an Israeli official admitted to Jewish Insider, “Because we asked for a lot from [the Trump administration] in recent weeks and days, the decision was to go all the way with them.”

You don’t risk angering the man who declared himself a king when you’re a vassal.

Trump’s Jewish supporters were initially frustrated but stayed silent when he pushed Israel into accepting ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon that left its enemies undefeated and unbowed. They took comfort, however, when the President issued a stark warning: all hell would break loose if Hamas didn’t release the hostages. But Hamas, undeterred by the threat, called Trump’s bluff, releasing only three hostages, a move that left Netanyahu looking weak and Trump’s tough talk hollow.

Trump’s release of the much-talked-about 2,000-pound bombs withheld by President Biden has reassured some of his pro-Israel supporters. Receiving the promised weapons, along with the Secretary of State’s approval of a $4 billion arms sale, is indeed a welcome indication of American support; however, it also underscores Israel’s reliance on the United States.

Israel has always proudly declared its self-sufficiency. Prime ministers say Israel has never asked Americans to risk their lives on its behalf. Yet, that is just what the United States did by sending its assets to the region to protect Israel from missiles fired from Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen. US soldiers were on the ground in Israel operating the THAAD missile defense system Biden lent to Israel.

It was hard to tell whether it was more embarrassing or just comical to hear Netanyahu, just two days after Zelensky was reprimanded for his perceived ingratitude, release a special video in English showering Trump with praise as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”

Smart politics?

Compare what Israel receives from Trump to what he’s withholding from Zelensky.

Vassal behavior?

You decide.