From Messiah to Pariah: Why the Pro-Netanyahu Camp Turned on Trump

For years, President Donald Trump was treated by much of Israel's political right not merely as a geopolitical ally, but as a messiah.

Netanyahu's supporters celebrated him as “the most pro-Israel president in American history,” repeated his claims about the 2020 elections without hesitation, drew comparisons between him and biblical figures, and referred to him as “Donald, Son of Fred.” His willingness to challenge long-standing diplomatic conventions, including meddling in Netanyahu’s criminal trial, made him a hero in pro-Netanyahu circles. This served their claims that Israel no longer needed bipartisan support in Washington, as they argued that the future belonged to a close alliance between the Israeli and American populist right, and particularly between their leaders.

Knesset Speaker and Netanyahu ally Amir Ohana and President Trump, during Trump's address at the Knesset. His willingness to challenge long-standing diplomatic conventions, including meddling in Netanyahu’s criminal trial, made him a hero in pro-Netanyahu circles.

Today, that same camp is turning on him.

The catalyst is the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran. While details continue to emerge, the broad outlines are already clear: the agreement reportedly includes unfreezing assets, sanctions relief, renewed economic engagement with Tehran, and merely a framework for future negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, while Iran’s nuclear infrastructure has so far remained untouched.

For many Israelis, this is deeply concerning, as Israelis are naturally fearful of Iran’s nuclear ambitions. For Netanyahu's allies, however, it presents a unique political dilemma: the architect of these concessions is not a Democratic president whom they can easily portray as weak or hostile to Israel - the kind of president that Netanyahu benefits politically from fighting. It is Donald Trump, their hero.

For years, Netanyahu has built his political identity around the claim that "only he can protect Israel from external pressure,". If Trump is no longer “Israel's greatest ally,” he can instead be recast as another source of pressure that "only Netanyahu" can resist.

The result has been remarkable. The same political figures and media personalities who once praised Trump's every move are now depicting him as a dangerous adversary. The more moderate among them portray him as being "manipulated" and "deceived" by his advisors, from Vice President Vance to his son-in-law, Kushner. The more direct commentators, who spent years insisting that Trump alone understood the Middle East, are accusing him of abandoning Israel, surrendering American power for generations, and appeasing Iran.

While anyone in their right mind should understand that the only answer to such a move by Trump is to renew bipartisanship, or at least broaden Israel’s support base, that is not the case among Netanyahu’s allies. This shift does not reflect a renewed appreciation for maintaining strong relationships across the American political spectrum, as many of them already believe that “the Democrats are lost.” It definitely does not mean they recognize that their strategy of tying Israel's interests to a single American political figure, let alone someone as controversial as Trump, was a mistake.

Instead, their attempt to depict Trump as an enemy is intended to serve two familiar political purposes: deflecting criticism from Netanyahu, and reviving the good old-fashioned claim that “he alone can stand up to a U.S. president.”

Netanyahu, on "60 Minutes". Netanyahu has built his political identity around the claim that only he can protect Israel from external pressure, due to the years he spent in the United States and his fluent English.

For years, Netanyahu has built his political identity around the claim that "only he can protect Israel from external pressure," due to the years he spent in the United States and his fluent English. His supporters loved to draw comparisons between him and his rivals, depicting them as “weak” or “submissive,” usually highlighting their lack of diplomatic experience or heavily accented English as “proof” that they would not withstand the pressure, while “Netanyahu alone” possesses the experience, strength, and determination to stand firm.

If Trump is no longer “Israel's greatest ally,” he can instead be recast as another source of pressure that "only Netanyahu" can resist. The message practically writes itself: it is hard to stand against “enemies” (as if Presidents Obama or Biden were enemies), and even harder to stand against friends, or former friends. Therefore, Netanyahu is the only leader capable of standing his ground.

This is a risky strategy. While Trump’s popularity has taken a hit in Israeli public opinion, he still has a long record of support for Israel’s interests, and many people remain grateful to him for helping bring back the hostages, recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and leading military strikes against Iran. However, most indications point to a difficult election campaign for Netanyahu, and with the possibility of losing the leverage of the Prime-Ministership regarding his trial, he needs to use every ace up his sleeve.

This is the true reasoning behind Netanyahu’s allies sudden break with Trump: not an ideological reassessment, and definitely not an attempt to make amends for abandoning the Democrats. It is the preparation of a new political campaign, one in which even Donald Trump can be transformed from messiah to pariah if doing so helps reinforce the central argument on which Netanyahu's political survival depends.

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