Shortly after Donald Trump assumed the US presidency, I surmised that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would one day come to miss President Barack Obama. I must confess, however, that I had no idea how soon Netanyahu would be forced to dust off the moldy excuse that served him during the Obama administration and went something like this: I want passionately to end the conflict with the Palestinians, but sadly, my radical right-wing coalition government is hemming me in. Even a suspension of construction in Israel’s West Bank settlements will bring a premature end to my political career.

My colleague Ben Caspit recently described the situation as Netanyahu being forced to choose between a crack in the relationship with the Trump administration and a crisis in his relations with the national-religious HaBayit HaYehudi, led by his political rival, Naftali Bennett. Netanyahu has many other, varied options, however, and has had for a long time.

When Obama journeyed to Cairo in June 2009 to deliver his landmark speech “A New Beginning,” he beseeched his Egyptian counterpart, President Hosni Mubarak, to be considerate of Netanyahu’s political woes and avoid exerting heavy pressure on him over the settlement issue. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas told me at the time that Mubarak had pointed out to Obama that no one had forced Netanyahu to choose right-wing government partners and that he could still pick an alternative moderate and peace-loving coalition. The Egyptian president did not fail to inform his important American visitor that Abbas, too, was constrained by domestic political considerations. Mubarak reminded Obama that Egypt and the other members of the Arab League were still awaiting Israel’s response to their 2002 peace initiative, which promises Israel normal ties with virtually all the Muslim states in return for an end to its occupation of Palestinian territory and a just and agreed upon solution to the lingering Palestinian refugee problem.

Little has changed in the eight years since. The option of an alternative coalition government that would enable Netanyahu to suspend construction in West Bank areas outside the existing settlement blocs is alive and well. The Arab League reaffirmed its peace initiative at the end of March. In addition, The Wall Street Journal reported May 15 that the Muslim Sunni states had formulated a document offering concrete steps for normalizing relations with Israel, among them establishing direct telecommunications between Israel and several Arab states, allowing Israeli airlines to use Gulf states' air space and lifting limitations on trade with Israel. In return, the Sunni states, Israel’s natural allies in the struggle against Shiite Iran and Hezbollah, expect Israel to take modest steps in regard to the Palestinians, such as a partial freeze on construction in some West Bank settlements and an easing of restrictions on trade with Gaza.