Trump-Netanyahu rift widens as election pressures pull them in opposite directions

While the Israeli leader touts a willingness to defy the U.S. on Gaza, the president needs to show progress in the foreign entanglements weighing on his approval rating.

Declining political consensus in the United States regarding support for Israel is creating mounting pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and raising deep concerns among Israeli officials about the long-term sustainability of the alliance.   Critics argue that Netanyahu’s intense focus on cementing tie