Netanyahu Fears Hostile Future US President, Looks to India and Latin America for New Alliances
By: Alia Kashmiri
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned that a future US president could be hostile towards Israel, calling for stronger ties with countries such as India and nations in Latin America to protect his country’s strategic interests. Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Netanyahu made the remarks on Sunday while presenting his security doctrine, nine days before Israel’s October 27 election.
His comments came hours before US President Donald Trump publicly endorsed Netanyahu’s re-election bid, expressing support for the Israeli leader ahead of the vote.
“In two years, a president, man or woman, could come to power who is very hostile to Israel,” Netanyahu said.
He questioned how Israel would respond to such a situation and what steps it would need to take in its relations with Washington and beyond.
Netanyahu said Israel should use the remaining years of Trump’s presidency to strengthen its position in the United States while preparing for a possible change in American policy.
“First, we must do everything we can during these two years, and during the following two years, in the American arena, through good times and bad,” he said.
He also stressed the need to build new international partnerships.
“The second thing is to create other alliances. That is what I am working on now with many countries in our region and outside it. India is not a small country, and there are many others,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu Looks to India and Latin America
The Israeli Prime Minister also pointed to political developments in Latin America as a possible opportunity to expand Israel’s international partnerships.
“There is a major shift in Latin America, and there could be an enormous change in Brazil in just a few days,” he said.
Netanyahu added that Israel needed to widen its network of allies and develop capabilities that would make it valuable to other countries.
He has frequently highlighted Israel’s relationship with India and his ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as evidence that his country is not internationally isolated.
In May, Netanyahu described India as a major power with which Israel enjoyed a “unique relationship”, also claiming that there was strong public affection for Israel in the country.
Tensions with US Democrats
Netanyahu’s remarks come amid concerns among some Israeli analysts about declining support for Israel among sections of the Democratic Party in the United States.
His relations with former US presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden were often tense. Analysts have argued that Netanyahu presented these disagreements to his supporters as evidence of his willingness to defend Israel’s interests, even when that meant challenging American presidents.
Such confrontations have also featured prominently in his political campaigns and have helped shape his image among supporters.
Netanyahu is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
Rival Accuses Netanyahu of Political Stunt
Netanyahu’s presentation of his security doctrine drew sharp criticism from Gadi Eisenkot, his main challenger in the upcoming election, according to the supplied report.
Eisenkot, a former chief of staff of the Israel Defence Forces, dismissed the presentation as a political exercise rather than a serious national security strategy.
He argued that the document failed to address the country’s major security challenges, particularly in the aftermath of what he described as Israel’s gravest failure and disaster.
Eisenkot said the presentation consisted of slogans rather than a detailed strategy and accused Netanyahu of leaving Israel facing a strategic vacuum.
He also alleged that Netanyahu was attempting to influence voters and create fear ahead of the election.
“This is Netanyahu’s method: manipulating perceptions, frightening people and trying to divert attention from the parade of lies and racism surrounding his campaign tonight,” Eisenkot said.
The exchange highlights the growing political debate over Israel’s security policy, its relationship with Washington and the future direction of its international alliances.
