‘What Does He Have on Trump?’: Donald Trump’s Cursing in Private Over a Powerful Ally He Doesn’t Dare Confront But Still Bends to in Public
President Donald Trump has long sold himself as the ultimate deal-maker who could bend world leaders to his will, but he’s finding that one of his closest allies in the Middle East is exposing just how little leverage he actually has.
Behind closed doors, Trump has been cursing and raging to staffers about the move, furious that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went forward with an attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar — a country that also happens to host the U.S. military’s regional headquarters at Al Udeid Air Base.
“He’s f—ing me,” the president said, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal, after Israel attacked Hamas representatives in Doha, threatening fragile talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza.
Trump claims he knew nothing about Netanyahu’s planned attack. The strike missed the U.S.- and Israel-designated terrorist organization’s top leaders, killing several less important members of the group.
The Hamas figures were in Qatar at the invitation of Qatar and the United States, and Israeli officials were aware of this arrangement amid their on-and-off negotiations the remaining leadership of the ruling body of the Gaza Strip.
Yet Trump still hasn’t made any potential moves to curb Israel such as leveraging arms or aid, and he still publicly supports Netanyahu.
Even Israel’s attack in another country, the problems Netanyahu is posing for the expansion of the Abraham Accords, and increasing trouble with other Middle East allies over the decimation of Gaza hasn’t prompted Trump to take any action.
In fact, Trump’s complete inaction over Netanyahu’s brazen moves defying him at several turns is a headscratcher.
“It’s slightly baffling and counterintuitive,” Shalom Lipner, who served seven consecutive Israeli prime ministers over 25 years, told the Journal.
Many share a similar sentiment. “And yet he does absolutely nothing and gives them everything they want why is that,” an X user pointed out.
“Israel must have so much blackmail on Trump,” X user The Pessimist pondered.
“Netanyahu’s moves have prolonged the Gaza war, created trouble for Trump with other U.S. allies in the region and made the expansion of the Abraham Accords excruciatingly difficult,” Lipner, who is now at the Atlantic Council, said.
The Abraham Accords are a set of U.S.-brokered agreements negotiated during Trump’s first term in office establishing or normalizing Israel’s relationship with Arab or Muslim majority countries starting in 2020.
Not only are the Accords facing a possible setback, but Trump also seems perfectly willing to watch the hope of a peace deal evaporate.
Another X user doesn’t believe one word of it, “Nope. Not falling for this good cop/bad cop routine any more. The administration has Netanyahu do their dirty work and take the blame so they can claim it wasn’t us.”
Another drew a vivid and crass image, “If somebody is f******* you, but you’re making no effort to deny access or withdraw consent, then somebody is making love to you, Donald.”
According to the Journal, citing White House aides, Trump is frustrated because he prefers to settle the war in Gaza through a negotiated cease-fire, while Netanyahu supports using military force to force total capitulation.
While the White House hasn’t commented on the Journal’s reporting, a senior Israeli official, taking a page from Trump’s own playbook, told the news outlet that Trump and Netanyahu have an excellent relationship and that any reporting disputing this is “fake news.”
Trump doesn’t want a public fight with Netanyahu. He’s proud of the Abraham Accords and covets helping renew ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.