Center for Middle East Policy
Democracy, nationalism and populism: The US, Israel, and beyond
It would be hard for [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz to accept being number two to Bibi now, especially after his party did so well.
But now they [Iranians] see that he [President Trump] is not going to follow through on the bluff that he has carried out on behalf of the American people.
This [statement on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's lack of a clear electoral victory] was ice cold, but it was the appropriate thing for Trump to do ... The relationship is always between countries, and it’s not conditioned on specific leaders being in power. Under normal circumstances, no one would have even noticed a statement like this one.
US inaction will be perceived as weakness...Let me be clear: I’m not advocating war. The point is that [Trump] engaged in a stupid, unnecessary, incredibly dangerous bluff and the Iranians have called him on it.
