In any case, US relations with Netanyahu will deteriorate

The Times of Israel recently reported that two-thirds of Israelis prefer former US President Donald Trump to US Vice President Kamala Harris. They clearly believe he will be tougher on Iran and more supportive of Israel's war efforts than the Biden-Harris administration, which is strange considering that both Trump and Harris do not want a direct confrontation with Tehran.

Also disconcerting is the widespread idea that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in lockstep with each other.

The Times of Israel recently reported that two-thirds of Israelis prefer former US President Donald Trump to US Vice President Kamala Harris. They clearly believe he will be tougher on Iran and more supportive of Israel's war efforts than the Biden-Harris administration, which is strange considering that both Trump and Harris do not want a direct confrontation with Tehran.

Also disconcerting is the widespread idea that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are in lockstep with each other.

If you believe Jared Kushner's memoir, which I reviewed, Netanyahu had a trust deficit with Trump, just as he had with a long list of US officials and presidents. When Netanyahu first traveled to Washington DC as prime minister in 1996, President Bill Clinton reportedly asked his aides after their meeting, “Who's the damn superpower here?” President Barack Obama clearly couldn't bear to be in the same room with him . And Trump supported Benny Gantz in the Israeli elections that took place during his term.

Trump clearly doesn't want the war with Hamas to be the first issue he has to deal with if he wins the election, which is why he recently told Netanyahu he'd better wrap things up in Gaza before Inauguration Day. He has said this several times, causing concern in Jerusalem because Trump's schedule does not necessarily align with that of Israel, which has done great damage to Hamas but wants to continue doing so. And if Netanyahu ends his major military operations and declares victory, that will not go down well with his domestic allies on the right.

Conclusion: Whatever the outcome of the election, there will likely be tensions in US-Israel relations.