The Washington Post, citing current and former US officials, said assessments linked Benjamin Netanyahu’s political survival before autumn elections to a harder line on Lebanon and Hezbollah.
Several US intelligence agencies warned the Trump administration that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could move to undermine Trump’s effort to secure a long-term peace agreement with Iran, The Washington Post reported, citing current and former US officials. One US official who reviewed the assessment said agencies concluded Netanyahu’s political survival ahead of autumn elections depends on showing Israelis he will not withdraw from Lebanon and is prepared to escalate fighting with Hezbollah. The report also said Israel was deeply dissatisfied with the terms in Trump’s memorandum of understanding.