US President Donald Trump is most probably the second-most popular political leader in Israel (after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu). His anti-Iran and anti-two-state solution positions, the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem, his tacit greenlighting of settlement expansion and US backing of Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip and Syria have turned him — in the eyes of many Israelis, especially the right — into the most pro-Israeli president in modern times. His speeches on Israeli issues could not have been better written, even by Netanyahu himself.

Yet many on the Israeli left have a different perception of the American president. More accurately, they believe that the Trump-Netanyahu axis threatens Israel both diplomatically and strategically.

Centrist leader Yair Lapid and center-left Labor leader Avi Gabbay both hailed the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem. In view of Trump’s popularity in Israel, they have been careful not to criticize him directly. Nevertheless, members of their respective camps point out that the alliance between Netanyahu and Trump, as expressed in four principle domains, could generate dangerous regional ramifications.

The first domain is that of the two-state solution. Referring to Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Gabbay said on Dec. 6, 2017, “I hope that along with the recognition, the American administration will take steps in the Middle East to restart the peace process. It can happen. We should see it as something that can inspire negotiations.” And so, while the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem was applauded by most of the political echelon, left-wing members argue that this isolated move, absent a realistic peace process, could actually damage Israeli interests.