Israel’s Netanyahu will court Trump carefully

Significance

Netanyahu and his various right-wing coalition partners reacted with evident enthusiasm to Trump's election victory. However, the government fears a proliferation of messages, following several outspoken interviews by ministers. During his election campaign, Trump emphasised his positive attitude towards Israel, family ties to US Jews and Jewish advisers. Nevertheless, Israelis are doubtful over Trump’s enigmatic positions on Russia, Syria and Iran. Netanyahu may be worried about possible surprise moves by the unpredictable president-elect.

Impacts

• Fears among US Jews of alleged anti-Semitism among Trump’s advisers could cause tension between that community and the Israeli government.
• If the new US president acts on his campaign promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem, Palestinian violence could spike.
• Trump could try to push Israel to give better value in exchange for US support, potentially threatening the military aid package.