Officials in Washington believe US President Donald Trump will actively push for the formation of a broad-based government in Israel. Two weeks ago, Israel Hayom revealed that messages conveyed by Washington to senior Israeli party officials made clear that this was the president's preferred outcome, as he seeks to secure Israeli support for his sweeping diplomatic initiative in the Middle East.
The initiative is expected to include agreements between Israel and several Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, as well as progress toward resolving the Palestinian issue.
Asked whether Trump would go a step further and actively intervene to help establish a broad coalition, beyond simply making his expectations for Israel's next government clear, a senior administration official told Israel Hayom:
"Trump is hardly known for his delicate diplomatic manners. He is waiting for a realistic assessment of the political options, will hear from Netanyahu and the opposition leaders, and, when the time is right, will use the influence needed to achieve his objective."
"I believe the advantages of the course he is proposing, along with the dangers Israel would face by placing obstacles in its way, will become clear to Israeli leaders," the official added.
In other words, Trump is making sure Israeli leaders understand his clear preferences. When the time comes, he intends to apply the pressure necessary to turn those preferences into reality.
"Let me put it in terms you Israelis understand very well: This is a real emergency alert," the administration official said. "If your political leaders don't move quickly to seize this extraordinary strategic window of opportunity, then in two years, when that window closes, Israel's fight for its very existence will become much harder."
The countdown has begun
At the White House, the countdown has begun, with roughly two years remaining before the end of Trump's second and final term.
According to the senior official, a giant countdown clock should be erected in Jerusalem, directly opposite the offices of Israel's decision-makers, to remind them that nothing will be easy for Israel once Trump leaves office.
That warning applies to the confrontation with Iran, the situation in Gaza, Lebanon, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and, of course, US military assistance to Israel. A coalition seeking to end that assistance is increasingly taking shape in Congress, the official warned, while efforts to delegitimize Israel's very existence are expected to intensify and gain greater traction among Western leaders.
"Despite all the international criticism from Western leaders, everyone knows that only Trump can bring about diplomatic breakthroughs of this magnitude," the official said. "But he needs an Israeli government capable of moving forward with him, not only through exceptionally successful military cooperation, but also on the diplomatic front."
For Trump, that means establishing a stable Israeli government without extremist elements that could derail understandings and agreements.
