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Trump's warm embrace of Netanyahu nothing for Jews to celebrate

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revels over his meeting with US President Donald Trump, US and Australian Jews are uncomfortable with his warm relations with a volatile and anti-Muslim leader.
U.S. President Donald Trump (R) escorts Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the White House in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2017.REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTSYUJN
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It’s hard to overstate the value of a personal friendship between an Israeli prime minister and an American president to the relationship between the small state and the strongest power in the world. An open door at the White House is of even greater worth when Congress is controlled by the president’s own party. Nowadays, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will find it more difficult to work against an American president, the way he did in March 2015, when he tried to hinder the Iran nuke deal championed by President Barack Obama by speaking at the US Congress without coordinating it beforehand with the White House.

The importance of the chemistry between the two leaders goes beyond the bilateral arena. When a US president looks out for an Israeli prime minister, Israel is accorded a special status in the international community. Having the ear of an American president is a priceless boon for any small country, and even more so for an occupying power under constant international censure. But this is not the case when the new resident of the White House is perceived by the world as a bumbling greenhorn.

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