Aaron David Miller

Yeah, he acquiesced in Netanyahu's Gaza campaign for nine months.

In fact, he reversed almost everything that the previous administration under Joe Biden did to signal its displeasure, opposition.

to Israeli policies in Gaza.

He built up an enormous amount of currency with Netanyahu.

There's no question.

Trump 1.0, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, moving the embassy, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, saying almost nothing about Israel's annexationist policies on the West Bank.

He created a sugar high for Netanyahu.

He had the wherewithal

to actually then deliver.

In the words of former U.S.

Ambassador to Israel, Sam Lewis, he applied ample amounts of honey, Dave.

but he also is able to apply ample amounts of vinegar.

And if Barack Ravid from Axios purporting is accurate, Trump actually left Netanyahu with no choice.

Comply or we will leave you.

I will leave you.

So the reason I'm persuaded about this is

is that over the course of the last six months, Trump did things in and around Benjamin Netanyahu, which also made him unique among his predecessors.

He authorized his hostage negotiator to open up a direct dialogue with Hamas in March.

He came to an agreement with the Houthis in Yemen, about which the Israelis learned after the fact.

He suspended sanctions against the Ahmad Shahra government in Syria over the objections of the Israelis.