According to a report on Israel’s Channel 10 late Monday, United States President Donald Trump is preparing to “get tough” on Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud).
Trump reportedly made the statement last month during a conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Channel 10 News, Macron had questioned Trump regarding his placing disproportionate pressure on the Palestinian Authority leadership.
What the French president failed to understand, however, is that his American counterpart is more businessman than politicians and has spent months positioning all the relevant parties for a successful implementation of a carefully guarded Mideast plan that most experts expect to be an updated version of Washington’s tradition two-state agenda.
By taking several actions that have appeared to be major Israeli diplomatic triumphs over the Palestinians, Trump has fostered a political atmosphere in which Israel owes his administration big.
Trump has been working to diplomatically indebt Israel to his administration while beating the Palestinian political leadership into submission in an effort to create a situation in which neither Israel nor the PA could afford to say refuse him.
Trump reportedly responded to Macron that he’s ready to pressure Netanyahu once his plan is revealed.
According to a number of Western diplomats present at the meeting, Trump told Macron that “I was tough with the Palestinians because they would not talk to us and that’s unacceptable. I gave Bibi a lot, I transferred the embassy to Jerusalem and every year we give them $5 billion, you know, Emmanuel – I can be tough with Bibi like I was tough with the Palestinians.”
Israel currently receives $3.8 billion annually in defense aid from Washington as part of a controversial memorandum of understanding. It’s not clear why Trump was reported to have said $5 billion.
Senior White House officials have said that the president’s secret plan includes several significant provisions that will likely create political challenges for Netanyahu and his ruling Likud party.
Administration officials, including Trump himself, have said on numerous occasions that Israel would have to pay a high price in an agreement with the Palestinians since Washington relocated its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The reported comments to Macron took place three days before Trump, during a meeting with Netanyahu at the UN, said he favors the two-state solution.
