Benjamin Netanyahu has traded heavily on his alliance with Donald Trump in recent years, deploying billboards across Israeli cities during election campaigns showing the two leaders together.
That partnership is no longer such a valuable asset for a prime minister fighting for his political future, as Trump pursues a deal with Iran that is hugely unpopular in Israel, and blasts his ally with increasingly harsh criticism.
The US President branded Netanyahu a “very small partner” this week, after previously calling him “f**king crazy” and suggesting that Israel was committing war crimes in Lebanon by destroying whole apartment buildings with civilians inside.
His Deputy President, JD Vance, went further on Thursday with a sharp warning that Trump is “the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time.”
Tensions are likely to rise further after fighting intensified overnight between Israel and Iran-allied Lebanese militia Hezbollah – despite Trump’s deal with Iran stating that the ceasefire must cover Lebanon. Israeli bombardment killed at least 18 and wounded dozens, while a Hezbollah rocket attack killed four Israeli soldiers.
