White House staff draft plans for new Israeli partner
Trump aides are preparing to work with the opposition bloc, which leads by six seats in the latest Maariv poll.
By Yasmin Kovalenko ·
The White House is preparing to shift its diplomatic focus toward Israel’s opposition bloc if Benjamin Netanyahu loses power.
US officials told Axios that senior advisers to President Donald Trump see opportunities in working with the prime minister’s rivals. One adviser described the current arrangement as dealing with "the devil [Trump] knows." Many of the president’s closest advisers opposed his decision to endorse Netanyahu. They believed the United States should stay out of the Israeli election entirely.
Vice President JD Vance distanced himself from the endorsement this week. "I’m not attacking Bibi Netanyahu. I’m not endorsing Bibi Netanyahu," Vance told reporters. He added that the president’s endorsement is what matters most.
Strains within the administration over Israeli policy are evident. US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack raised concerns about the Netanyahu government’s approach to Syria. After Israeli strikes on a base in Idlib, Barrack denounced the attack as an "unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability." Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his team maintain a better relationship with the prime minister. However, they believe Israel could do more to strengthen Lebanon’s government. The State Department team also expressed frustration with what they view as Netanyahu’s failure to curb settler attacks in the West Bank.
The internal planning comes as Netanyahu’s polling position weakens ahead of the October 27 vote. A new Maariv poll shows the opposition bloc widening its lead to 54 seats. Netanyahu’s bloc dropped to 48 seats in the same survey.
Sixty percent of respondents in the Maariv poll prefer a unity government if the election fails to produce a clear majority. Twenty-three percent favor holding another election, and 17 percent remain undecided. Among those favoring a unity government, 33 percent want a candidate from the opposition bloc to lead it. Nineteen percent prefer Netanyahu, and 8 percent support a unity government regardless of who leads.
In a head-to-head matchup for prime minister, Gadi Eisenkot leads Netanyahu. The poll found 49 percent support for Eisenkot against 41 percent for the incumbent.
The vote is scheduled for October 27. The Maariv poll provides the most recent snapshot of voter intent ahead of that date.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
