Netanyahu bends the knee for Trump
Those still cringing at the memory of Keir Starmer's supplication in the Oval Office in February should take heart in learning that he is not the only politician who packs a flattering letter in his jacket pocket on visits to the White House.
While Starmer offered the President an invitation for a state visit from King Charles, Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump's comrade-in-arms, handed a letter across the dinner table on Monday night in which he recommended to those august Swedes that the President be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 'It's well deserved and you should get it,' was the paternal encouragement he offered to Trump during his taciturn encomium.
Perhaps it's understandable why the Prime Minister kept it brief. The Trumpists say world peace was served by America blowing up the nuclear arsenal of an Islamist death cult intent on killing millions of Israelis. The problem with that argument is that the administration's own intelligence suggests the US strikes on Iran only delayed Tehran's programme by one or two years, and now the mullahs have ejected the UN bomb watchers keeping tabs on their progress. Yet Netanyahu insisted that Trump was 'forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other'. In contrast to Starmer's forced guffaws, though, it's never clear during Netanyahu's meetings with Trump who is paying homage to whom.
For all Trump's storied aversion to etiquette, he has mastered the famously difficult art of receiving a gift. 'Wow,' Trump cooed, pawing the letter with appreciation, 'coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful.' The absence of laughter from his well-tuned and sycophantic staff suggested this was not a joke – though it should have been, albeit a very sick one, considering the International Criminal Court wants to arrest Netanyahu for 'war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare' and the 'crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts'. Collecting imprimaturs from international organisations is not something the Israeli leader usually prioritises.
His forces continue to kill Palestinians and devastate Gaza even though his defence officials have thought for months that the mission to neuter Hamas's ability to attack Israel has been fought and won. And they reportedly think the war's second aim – the return of hostages – is only possible with a deal, one which has snagged on Netanyahu's refusal to agree to Hamas' demand for a complete end to the war. 'We'll work out a peace in which our security, the sovereign power of security, always remains in our hands,' Netanyahu said at the dinner. To those who might complain that this version of peace doesn't offer much to the Palestinians by way of recognised statehood, Netanyahu had a simple answer: 'we don't care'.
Dreams of a Palestinian state have lately been replaced by chatter about shipping Gazans out of the territory. The Financial Times reported this week that the Boston Consulting Group, with some help from Tony Blair's acolytes, drafted plans to turn Gaza into a 'Trump Riviera', complete with bribes to get Palestinians to leave and an 'Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone' (the BCG has disavowed any such work that was done on their behalf). As Samuel Moyn wrote in the Guardian, there could be no better symbol of Trump than as the great protector of the neoconservative and neoliberal consensus he promised to overthrow.
The key here is that Trump now sees Netanyahu as a fellow strongman who also faces persecution by the Deep State. 'It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu,' Trump posted in June, referring to the prime minister's long-running corruption trial in Israel. The President's intervention surely annoyed those in the Maga movement who thought America First meant greater distance from Israel.
Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe
For now, Trump seems happy chewing over a welcome hypothetical: which is better, tea with the King or a Nobel Peace Prize?
[See also: The hunt for Iran's missing uranium]
Related
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
23 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Fears Brit couple held hostage by Taliban will die as dad ‘suffers stroke' after months locked up in underground cell
The husband described being shackled to rapists and 'a demon-possessed man' who murdered his family LOCKED UP Fears Brit couple held hostage by Taliban will die as dad 'suffers stroke' after months locked up in underground cell Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AN ELDERLY Brit couple held hostage and beaten by the Taliban could die if not rescued soon, the UN has warned. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were snatched by Taliban thugs and tossed into Afghanistan's most notorious prison nearly six months ago - where Peter is believed to have since suffered a stroke. 5 Peter and Barbie Reynolds were scooped up in February and thrown into a brutal prison Credit: Supplied 5 The couple moved to Afghanistan in 2009, where they run training projects The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects, when they were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Eighty-year-old Peter has been chained up, shackled and smacked over the head. Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. READ MORE IN WORLD NEWS TORTURED SOULS Inside dark history of abandoned asylum that starred in blockbuster thriller 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. The married couple were moved out from underground last week, but are still forced to sleep on mats on the hard floor - and have been provided on furniture. Alice said: 'Their physical and mental health is deteriorating rapidly. "Without access to adequate medical care they are at risk of irreparable harm or even death.' Notorious Iranian prison is BLITZED as 'Israel blows up gate to Evin jail in bid to free Ayatollah's fiercest critics' In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. 5 Faye Hall, the couple's interprator, was arrested with them but later released Credit: AP 5 Hall was received at the Qatari embassy in Kabul and confirmed to be in good health Credit: Reuters Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been arrested for teaching parenting skills to mothers. The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was due to a "misunderstanding" - though did not release them. Hall, their interpretor, was released on March 27 following a court order. Following her release the American citizen heaped praises for president Trump. Hall said in a video posted by Trump on Truth Social: "I've never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr President."
The Sun
23 minutes ago
- The Sun
Fears Brit couple held hostage by Taliban will die as dad ‘suffers stroke' after months locked up in underground cell
AN ELDERLY Brit couple held hostage and beaten by the Taliban could die if not rescued soon, the UN has warned. Peter Reynolds, 80, and his wife Barbie, 76, were snatched by Taliban thugs and tossed into Afghanistan's most notorious prison nearly six months ago - where Peter is believed to have since suffered a stroke. 5 5 The parents-of-four had lived in Afghanistan for 18 years managing training projects, when they were kidnapped on February 1 with no explanation. They were locked up separately at the maximum security Pul-e-Charkhi in Kabul, and later moved to an underground cell beneath the Taliban's intelligence HQ. Eighty-year-old Peter has been chained up, shackled and smacked over the head. Alice Edwards, the UN's special rapporteur on torture, said: 'We see no reason why this elderly couple should be detained at all, and have requested an immediate review of the grounds of their detention. 'It is inhumane to keep them locked up in such degrading conditions and more worrying when their health is so fragile.' Peter had a mini stroke in 2023, and is thought to have suffered another one or a silent heart attack while being held prisoner. Barbie, meanwhile, is struggling with dizzy spells and numbness linked to anaemia - which can be caused by a lack of sunlight. The married couple were moved out from underground last week, but are still forced to sleep on mats on the hard floor - and have been provided on furniture. Alice said: 'Their physical and mental health is deteriorating rapidly. "Without access to adequate medical care they are at risk of irreparable harm or even death.' Notorious Iranian prison is BLITZED as 'Israel blows up gate to Evin jail in bid to free Ayatollah's fiercest critics' In April, Peter described the excruciating conditions as "the nearest thing to hell". In a phone recording heard by The Sunday Times, he said: 'I've been joined up with rapists and murderers by handcuffs and ankle cuffs, including a man who killed his wife and three children, shouting away, a demon-possessed man.' He continued: "The atmosphere is pretty shocking. I am learning a lot about the underbelly of Afghanistan. "The prison guards shout all the time and beat people with a piece of piping. "It's a horrible atmosphere — the nearest thing to hell I can imagine." The Reynolds were some of the only foreigners not to leave Afghanistan when the Taliban seized back power four years ago. They had been living peaceful lives in the mountainous region of Bamain - famous for the giant Buddha statues blown up by the previous Taliban regime. 5 5 Their family said they had never encountered any trouble from the regime since settling there in 2009. Last week was the pair's 55th wedding anniversary. Barbie told a Foreign Office official this week: 'We have been told we are guests of the government but this is no way to treat a guest." Peter and Barbie were arrested on February 1 along with their interpreter, Jaya, and a visiting Chinese-American friend, Faye Hall. The group was detained after flying in a small plane from Kabul to an airstrip near their home in the central province of Bamiyan. They bundled into vans and taken to separate parts of maximum-security Pul-e-Charki. On May 22 the couple were moved to the headquarters of the GDI — the General Directorate of Intelligence — and put in an underground cell. Although the couple are now together, they have had almost no access to phones since being moved. The last time their four children spoke to them was over a month ago. It was initially thought they had been arrested for teaching parenting skills to mothers. The Taliban later bizarrely claimed the arrest was due to a "misunderstanding" - though did not release them. Hall, their interpretor, was released on March 27 following a court order. Following her release the American citizen heaped praises for president Trump. Hall said in a video posted by Trump on Truth Social: "I've never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr President." 5
North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Israel issues new Gaza evacuation orders as military offensive widens
The evacuation cuts access between the city of Deir al-Balah and the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis in the narrow enclave. The announcement comes as Israel and Hamas have been holding ceasefire talks in Qatar, but international mediators say there have been no breakthroughs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that expanding military operations in Gaza will pressure Hamas to negotiate, though negotiations have been stalled for months. The area of Gaza under the evacuation order is also where many international organisations attempting to distribute aid are located. Military spokesman Avichay Adraee warned the military will attack 'with intensity' against militants. He called for residents, including those sheltering in tents, to head to the Muwasi area, a desolate tent camp on Gaza's southern shore that the Israeli military has designated a humanitarian zone. Gaza's population of more than two million Palestinians are in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Hamas triggered the 21-month war when militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage. Fifty hostages remain, but fewer than half are thought to be alive. Israel's military offensive that followed has killed more than 58,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. It does not say how many militants are among the dead but says more than half of those killed have been women and children. The ministry is part of the Hamas government but the UN and other international organisations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. The Hostages Family Forum, a grassroots organisation that represents many of the families of hostages, condemned the evacuation announcement and demanded that Mr Netanyahu and the Israeli military explain what they hope to accomplish in the area of central Gaza, accusing Israel of operating without a clear war plan. It said: 'Enough. The Israeli people overwhelmingly want an end to the fighting and a comprehensive agreement that will return all of the hostages.' On Saturday night, tens of thousands of protesters once again marched in Tel Aviv to call for an end to the war.
