Does Netanyahu Have Spies in the White House?
- Thomas Neuburger
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
By Thomas Neuburger
Looks like Bibi has informants in the White House.
A Spy in the Family?
From Axios and Israeli reporter Barak Ravid:
Netanyahu asks White House if secret Iran talks are happening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the White House for clarifications earlier this week after learning Trump administration officials might be communicating with the Iranian regime, two sources with knowledge of the issue said.
Notice the Axios statement about why this matters:
Why it matters: Netanyahu’s outreach suggests that the Israeli government is concerned about a scenario in which the U.S. pursues a ceasefire before all of Israel’s war objectives have been achieved.
No, it matters because it shows that Netanyahu has people keeping watch on Trump’s calls and reporting back to him.
Why do that? In case a fast intervention is needed, a quick buck-him-up. More from Axios:
Behind the scenes: The sources said Israeli intelligence obtained information earlier this week that raised suspicions some kind of communications had taken place between Iran and the Trump administration to discuss a ceasefire. On Monday Netanyahu called White House officials and asked if such talks or exchange of messages happened. “The White House told Bibi that the Trump administration wasn’t talking to the Iranians behind his back,” one source said. Zoom in: A U.S. official said special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner talk almost every day to Netanyahu, to the director of Mossad David Barnea, and to other Israeli officials — and that regardless of ups and downs in the past, the coordination over the last month was very close. [emphasis added]
The article’s clear implication, though unstated, is that the people reporting back could be Witkoff or Kushner. If Kushner, a strong Netanyahu supporter, Trump’s own family is part of the op.
Trump seems frightened of prolonged conflict, for a number of reasons. If he reached out to Iran on Monday, as the Guardian suggests, Israel would want to deter any waffling fast, which is the article’s point.
Israel’s War, America’s Boots Go in First
I wouldn’t find this surprising. It's Israel’s war after all. We’re just on the train.
Listen to former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on the subject of sending in troops:
Q: Do you think there will eventually be a need for boots on the ground? GANTZ: I would not exclude it. … Q: And will that include Israeli boots on the ground? GANTZ: I exclude nothing. We’ve been waiting for 47 years [since the Iranian revolution]. We come to a point where every necessary means should be taken to achieve our goals.
Note that the Israeli boots were an afterthought. She meant American boots. Her implied question was, “Even Israeli boots?”
Q.E.D.