If Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were eligible to vote in the United States, he would naturally and logically have voted for President Donald Trump and convinced all his acquaintances to do so, as well. On the other hand, one school of thought believes Netanyahu has squeezed all he can out of this US president and would prefer a first Joe Biden presidential term to a second Trump one.

“There is nothing more dangerous than a second-term president,” a senior Israeli diplomatic source told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “Especially when that president is Trump who is unpredictable to begin with.” Netanyahu, according to this theory, has scraped the bottom of the barrel of goodies that Trump has kept filling for the past four years and now prefers a familiar, stable, veteran White House presence to one focused on shaping his legacy and eyeing the Nobel Peace Prize.

The truth is somewhere in between. If Netanyahu could have voted, he would have faced a tough dilemma. I would venture a guess that Netanyahu would have ultimately voted for Trump, but not without agonizing long and hard over his choice. Going along with a second-term president is a gamble. Nonetheless, it is hard to ignore the endless, unbelievable strategic gifts with which Trump showered Netanyahu throughout his term, and the fact that Israel’s ambassador in Washington, Ron Dermer, enjoys almost unfettered White House access and takes part in formulating highly sensitive policy papers prepared by the president’s top aides. Trump is the proverbial gift that keeps on giving, and Netanyahu loves presents. Netanyahu got addicted to the influence he wields on the White House and will have a hard time weaning himself off this heady drug.

When Trump stunned the world — and Hillary and Bill Clinton — by being elected in 2016, Netanyahu broke out into a wild dance, but Israel’s professional diplomats broke out in a sweat trying to understand what made the new president tick, and second-guessing his appointments and policies. “It was a mystery,” a former high-ranking Israeli diplomat told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity. “We had no idea who he would bring with him and he ignored most Washington professionals and the Republican establishment because these people had signed petitions against him.” Even after Israeli officials began to familiarize themselves with the top White House and National Security Council appointments, the acquaintance was often short-lived. The president’s inner circle often resembled a bucking bronco, throwing off everyone who climbed on — very few managed to hold on. Officials in Jerusalem watched with a mix of despair and disbelief.