Israel has many supporters within Trump’s inner circle , including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, as well as many important pro-Israel donors . Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has proved adept at flattering Trump , with Israel naming settlements after the president, lauding his accomplishments, and otherwise playing on his vanity. Netanyahu also has strong support among Republicans in Congress and with pro-Trump media, such as Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax. This mix of media support, congressional backing, and flattery seemed to work for Israel at a key moment, when Trump decided to join Israel in its attempt to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in June.
In President Donald Trump’s America First approach to foreign policy, Israel can seem like an exception, a country that gets support even when its policies stray from U.S. interests—or the personal preferences of the president himself. Israeli leaders like to talk about the values that the two countries share, which is certainly part of the explanation.
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