The war in Iran, initiated by President Donald Trump in February, has shaken the United States’ standing in the world. His main ally, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has added to that turmoil by openly bragging that his “successful” influence on Trump to wage war worked.
Netanyahu appeared on the Channel 14 television network on Sunday (August 30) to appeal directly to voters, as his government is underwater in polling before the nation’s elections in October.
“I’ve been against Iran for almost 40 years… it took a long time to bring the United States to its senses,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew.
He continued, “[I’ve had] close to 1,000 hours on American television with the ability to influence the United States — with the intimate knowledge of all its leaders, both those who support us and those who don’t support us — the ability to navigate this field, through it.”
The frank admission shocked observers. Trump has steadily denied that Israel had no influence on his decision to attack Iran, despite a White House official stating in March that the decision was “partly motivated by pressure from outside allies” with Netanyahu as the prime voice.
“The gall. In English, Netanyahu lavishes praise on U.S. leaders. In Hebrew, he boasts of how he manipulated them,” journalist Prem Thakker wrote in an article for the Zeteo media network, adding: “Netanyahu explicitly cites how the U.S. media has served as a compliant springboard, a vessel for his influence operation on, if not the populace, at least the consultants and members of Congress who engage with cable news more than their actual constituents.”
Netanyahu has been blasted for pushing the United States to attack Iran for decades, and was chastized for advocating for a “Greater Israel” last year, suggesting that the nation allegedly aims to expand its borders through force into Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan as well as outright seizing Gaza and the West Bank.
1. Rula Jebreal
