(SeaPRwire) – By: Julian Holbrooke
The Haaretz report claiming United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed warned Benjamin Netanyahu of an imminent Hamas attack is not just a security scandal. It is an existential threat to the Likud party. Yet, Donald Trump has stepped in to neutralize the narrative. In a *Time* interview, he refused to accept the premise that Netanyahu’s alleged ignorance—or negligence—condemns him politically. Trump framed the criticism as premature. He drew a direct parallel to his own history of political survival. “People have written off Bibi many, many times,” he said. This is a calculated move to inoculate the Israeli prime minister against the most damaging allegation of his career.
On the surface, the official narrative remains stark. Reports detail how Netanyahu allegedly dismissed the intelligence from Egypt and the UAE. He did not pass it to his security chiefs. This failure led to the catastrophic October 7, 2023, terrorist attack. The accusation is severe. It suggests either a failure to assess the threat or a deliberate decision to allow the attack to occur. The latter would provide a false justification for a major military campaign against Gaza. Netanyahu’s office has rejected these claims. But the doubt has taken root. The late October election makes this timing critical.
Behind the diplomatic pleasantries, the geopolitical intent is clear. Trump’s comments serve a dual purpose. First, they protect a key ally from total humiliation in the West. Second, they shield the administration from the optics of a failed intelligence partnership. By asserting that Netanyahu “would have done something about it” if he knew, Trump offers a face-saving out. It validates the UAE’s warning without admitting Israeli leadership negligence. This softens the blow to the Trump-MBS relationship. It prevents the warning from becoming a diplomatic incident that fractures the Abraham Accords’ momentum.
The real danger lies in the erosion of Netanyahu’s influence within the US media establishment. Hosts like Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, consistent pro-Israeli voices, are now publicly criticizing him. They argue the government “opened the door” by moving forces to the West Bank. They accuse Israel of funding Hamas through Qatar. This shift is critical. When the pro-Israel left abandons the prime minister, his remaining political capital in Washington evaporates. The geopolitical pendulum is not swinging toward isolation. It is swinging toward irrelevance. The next US administration will have no political need to defend a leader who has lost the support of his own ideological allies.
Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, an overseas international relations analyst who frequently contributes to major European daily newspapers, specializing in Middle Eastern diplomacy and Western political intervention.