US President Trump has voiced support for Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of next
Tuesday’s Israeli election, but several senior advisers are privately exploring
other Israeli leaders as potential partners if Netanyahu is replaced, US
officials told Axios. Over the past six months advisers including US envoy
Witkoff and Kushner have been frustrated by Netanyahu’s reluctance to advance
the president’s peace plan; Trump envoy Tom Barrack has expressed concerns about
Netanyahu’s stance toward Damascus and Israel’s continued military operations in
Syria. Some US officials said a government without Netanyahu’s far-right allies
would be easier for Washington to work with and could still allow Trump’s Middle
East agenda to progress.
