Bloomberg: Israel Could Lose U.S. Support Due to Netanyahu's Policies

SadaNews - Bloomberg agency sees that the involvement of U.S. President Donald Trump in the war with Israel against Iran could be considered a success for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the long-term costs will be steep regarding U.S. support for Israel.

The American agency stated that support for Israel has sharply declined among Democrats in the United States, as a new generation of party leaders harshly criticizes it. It added that Israel's standing in American public opinion has diminished due to its policies during Netanyahu's tenure.

Bloomberg noted that Netanyahu has contributed to deepening the division in America regarding Israel by aligning exclusively with the American right, specifically evangelical Christians, conservative Jews, and Republicans, while ignoring the Democratic Party.

Clash with Democrats

Bloomberg reminded that Netanyahu had a severe clash with Democratic President Bill Clinton (1993-2001) due to Clinton's persistent efforts toward a peace agreement with the Palestinians. His relations with President Barack Obama (2009-2017) were also tense, as he launched a wide campaign to stop reaching an agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program in 2015.

When President Joe Biden (2021-2025) supported Netanyahu after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, it alienated liberal and Arab American voters, even though he could not force Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza.

Regarding the Iranian file, both Biden and Obama rejected Netanyahu's pleas for a war against Iran, a goal that was achieved when Donald Trump returned to the White House, leading to widespread debate about whether Netanyahu dragged Trump into war or vice versa.

Trump's Support

Bloomberg stated that Trump's decision comes at a time when political support for Israel in America is at its lowest level in decades, with several polls showing a notable decline in the percentage of Americans expressing positive views toward Israel.

Conversely, the Gallup organization recorded in February last year, for the first time in its polls on the subject—dating back to 2002—a greater number of Americans sympathizing with the Palestinians compared to Israel.

Support for Israel has significantly declined among Democrats, especially among the youth, while the number of Democrats sympathetic to the Palestinians has greatly increased.

Bloomberg observed cracks in Israel's standing among young Republicans, suggesting that the number of Republican voters supporting prominent media commentators who strongly question the U.S. alliance with Israel may increase.

What About the Future?

Bloomberg believes that it is impossible for the next Democratic president to support Israel to the same extent as Biden did, and questioned whether the next Republican president will cooperate with Israel as strongly as Trump did.

Bloomberg indicated that American political support from both parties over the first 50 years of Israel's existence has cemented its "exceptional partnership" with the United States.

Due to Netanyahu's decision not to establish strong relations with both American political parties, Bloomberg does not rule out that Israel may ultimately find itself deprived of stable support from both sides.