Why Trump has so much sway with Netanyahu

Later today, when President Trump meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, he will have a rare opportunity to not just to take a “victory lap” over what happened in Iran—but to demonstrate leadership on the global stage and save lives. If Trump truly wants to shape the future of Israel, the region, and American global leadership, he must use this moment to press Netanyahu to end his cynical continuation of the war in Gaza.

As a Jew, as an Israeli-American, and as someone who believes in the safety and dignity of all people—Israeli and Palestinian alike—I implore him to do just that.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict began long ago, with this horrific chapter opening with the terrifying events of October 7th. Israel was justified in acting to restore security to its citizens. But as this war has dragged on, it has left unimaginable destruction in its wake. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Millions have been displaced. And despite all this suffering, Israeli hostages are still not home. 

Netanyahu argues that the fighting continues because Israel has yet to root out Hamas or free the hostages. But even Israelis aren’t buying this talking point anymore. 

A poll published by the right-leaning daily Ma’ariv on Thursday showed that 59% of Israelis want their government to stop the fighting in exchange for the release of hostages. Even more striking, nearly half (48%) of Israelis think that a political calculus is the main reason that Netanyahu is continuing the war. Only about a third (37%) think that Netanyahu is genuinely motivated by security considerations. 

Similar views have been boldly articulated by two former Israeli prime ministers. Ehud Barak, who went into politics after serving as the IDF’s chief of staff, recently termed the ongoing fighting in Gaza as a “war of deception” in which Netanyahu deploys “misleading propaganda” to falsely present the war as serving Israel’s security needs. Barak argues that the war is continuing because of Netanyahu’s personal agenda: “We’re led by someone who lost his strategic and moral compass, dragging the nation into war motivated by personal political interests against our security and common future.” 

Another former prime minister, Ehud Olmert – who spent much of his Knesset career in the Likud alongside Netanyahu – made waves a month ago for saying that Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza. He reaches this  conclusion in part based on his view that the Israeli government is engaging in warfare willy-nilly, “without goals or clear planning and with no chances of success.” Arguing that the war should have ended long ago, Olmert writes that “what we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians… it’s the result of government policy – knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated. Yes, Israel is committing war crimes.”

That is a very damning verdict, especially when articulated by two men who used to occupy the same office that Netanyahu holds. They are speaking out because the stakes are so high. Their security analysis is supported from comments that IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly made at a Cabinet meeting on Sunday. He argued that expanding Israeli operations would not further Israel’s goals and would needlessly endanger the lives of the hostages. Let us remember, this is the same chief of staff whom Netanyahu hand picked only four months ago. 

Netanyahu’s actions, however, show that he wants to keep fighting. He has repeatedly prioritized his coalition’s survival over peace and over the safe return of the hostages. 

Why is this? Why won’t Netanyahu change course? 

One answer is domestic politics. He knows that an end to the war would bring elections (which polls consistently show he would lose), a commission of inquiry over his failings that contributed to Israel’s vulnerability on October 7, and a faster pace for his criminal trial.  

He will not change course unless compelled to—by pressure that only a powerful ally can apply.

President Trump, for all his bluster, has leverage. Netanyahu is desperate for international support, particularly from Trump, whom he sees not only as a key Israeli ally, but also as a political asset in advance of the next Israeli elections. In past electoral campaigns Netanyahu boasted about his close relationship with the American president. Enormous billboards with photos of the two leaders together were a centerpiece of the 2019 Israeli election campaign. It would be devastating to Netanyahu’s brand were he publicly shunned by Trump.

This gives PresidentTrump – more than any other person – the power to shift Netanyahu’s calculus. He can make clear that continued devastation in Gaza is not just morally indefensible, a security disaster, but that it is also politically untenable.

So when Trump sits across from Netanyahu on Monday, I hope he doesn’t just nod along. I hope he demands an end to the war. I hope he uses all of the leverage he has to bring an end to this war, to rush humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to bring all of the hostages home. 

The world is watching. Lives hang in the balance.

Hadar Susskind is the President and CEO of New Jewish Narrative, a national Jewish organization that believes that peace and justice are the birthright of Israelis, of Palestinians, and of all people