President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration was to be held on 20th January 2025, and major international leadership was invited to the event. As the event approached, a senior aide of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the head of state would not attend the ceremony, canceling his US visit.
Past Relations Between Trump and Netanyahu
Throughout his presidency, Donald Trump has been portraying himself as Israel’s “best friend” through various actions such as moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing the Israeli sovereignty over Gulan Heights, and lastly providing political support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
From Israel’s standpoint, unwavering support of the US for Israel would encompass greater US intervention in regional conflict, which is a bone of contention between Trump and Netanyahu. Netanyahu has been quite vocal about how important US help is in countering the influence of Iran. Does Trump’s recent actions signal to Netanyahu that he won’t tolerate any attempt by him to entangle him deeper into these regional conflicts?
Factors Leading to the Cancellation of the Trip
The factors behind the cancellation of this trip vary from public health concerns to legal and diplomatic challenges. Some media reports have suggested that Netanyahu recently had prostate surgery; therefore, doctors have advised him to rest, thus leading to the cancellation of his US visit. Another reason behind this cancellation could be the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in November for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. This warrant has been issued because of the genocide case on Israel at the ICC and has received a mixed reaction all over the world.
Some states have been willing to comply with the warrant, yet some others, like the US and Hungary (not signatory to the ICC), have already denounced it. Also, this was going to be Netanyahu’s first trip abroad since the issuance of a warrant; thus, everyone has been continuously monitoring Netanyahu’s next move.
Moreover, Netanyahu’s senior aide confirmed the cancellation, mentioning that Netanyahu didn’t receive a formal invitation. Trump was reported to have extended an informal invitation to all the global leaders, including adversaries and allies. Thus, it is unclear whether Netanyahu was even invited to the inauguration.
Historically, the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has been oscillating between tension and camaraderie. Both leaders collaborated quite closely during the first presidency of Donald Trump; however, the bond soured in 2020 when PM Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden on his election victory. This move was considered disloyal by Trump.
Despite the souring relationship, it started to recover in recent months when Netanyahu visited Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and congratulated him on winning the elections. However, another incident has reignited questions about the strength of both leader’s alliances, i.e., Trump recently shared a video on his “Truth Social” featuring a Columbian professor, Jeffery Sachs, who accused Netanyahu of being “a deep, dark son of a bitch” who has led the US into an endless era of wars within the Middle East.
He further asserts that Netanyahu has been a driving force behind US investment in several Middle Eastern conflicts, such as Iraq, the effort to topple Assad, and a potential war with Iran expected shortly. Sachs claims that “he has gotten the US into endless wars, and because of the power of all of this in US politics, he has gotten his way.”
Professor Sachs’s criticism of US interventionism and its link with Israeli influence has faced a serious backlash from Israeli officials. The Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli remarked that Sachs is a part of “Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists, and blood libel enthusiasts who oppose the state of Israel.” Although Trump is well-known for his pro-Israel stance and support for Netanyahu, it is quite striking for the Americans after he shared this video.
A lot of questions are being raised, such as whether this is his way of alarming Netanyahu that his support for Israel should not be considered an unconditional one. Another question is: did both of the leaders have a fallout behind the scenes? It is still early to pick a side in such an ambiguous state as the motives of Trump are enigmatic, leaving both the critics and allies guessing what could be coming next.
Even though Netanyahu did not attend the inauguration, he still managed to congratulate him on Monday, 20th January 2025. He clearly stated that Trump’s first presidency led to the establishment of a great alliance between both countries. He also mentioned that once again, under Trump’s leadership, the best days for their alliance are yet to come. Thus, it can be asserted that PM Netanyahu didn’t completely vanish from the scene, even if he didn’t visit the US, and made sure that Israel didn’t stay back in the race of congratulating the new president of the United States on his appointment.
Conclusion
The cancellation of Netanyahu’s US visit is an important signal that could reverberate the fragile dynamics of the relations between both countries. This event displays a growing strain between both the allies. For Israel, the cancellation might appear as an assertion of independence or integrity after the recent events, but this might risk alienating a close ally.
On the other hand, Trump’s actions can be portrayed as a signal or warning for Netanyahu that the US won’t tolerate any further meddling in Middle Eastern conflicts and Israel cannot manipulate its strong relations with Trump in this matter. In conclusion, the cancellation of the US visit by Netanyahu could bring in more risks, creating a divide between both states and leaving long-term consequences.
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Areej Ajmal is a lecturer at the University of Lahore. She possesses a robust academic background in political science from Punjab University, Lahore. Her expertise encompasses democratization, global and gender politics.