Trump is unreliable and it is now evident. Israel needs to act now.

Trump appears so desperate for a deal with Iran that he has managed to turn what seemed to be an imminent military victory into a strategic setback. In doing so, he has given the Iranian regime an opportunity to threaten global commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and attempt to dictate the terms of any potential agreement.

This is hardly an example of “America First.” Instead, Trump has made the United States appear weak to pursue his personal and self-satisfying objective of a “deal”, and Iran’s response is evidence of that. The confidence and defiance displayed by Tehran during negotiations that arguably should never have taken place stem from the fact that, at least in theory, the regime was in a position where it should have been forced to capitulate. Instead, Trump abruptly interrupted the military campaign in pursuit of a deal that was always unlikely to materialize.

When a war is started, it should be brought to a conclusion and, if possible, won. The support Trump promised the Iranian people never arrived. Innocent Iranians continue to suffer and die at the hands of the regime, while Trump is now, according to critics, putting Israel’s security at risk by pressuring Netanyahu not to retaliate against Hezbollah and Iran. The regime is well aware of this dynamic and is leveraging Trump’s desire to reach an agreement by raising the stakes and targeting Israel.

Trump even had the audacity to call Netanyahu and urge him not to retaliate against the missiles fired at Israeli territory. At the same time, Trump condemned Israel’s airstrikes on Beirut’s Dahieh district, which were carried out in response to Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel.

Let’s be clear: if this is what Israel’s “best friend” in the White House looks like, it’s hard to imagine what a hostile president would do. Not even Biden went this far. Perhaps it’s time for Israel to start looking for other friends elsewhere. The ball is now in the court of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. One can only hope that this time he does what he believes is necessary, rather than what Trump wants.