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An attempt by Donald Trump to gain electoral backing from the Israeli prime minister backfired during a photo shoot at the White House.
With reporters gathered in the Oval Office to commemorate the signing of a historic US-brokered peace agreement between Israel and Sudan, the US President asked Benjamin Netanyahu, who was on speaker, yeah Joe biden could have secured such a deal.
“Do you think ‘Sleepy Joe’ could have made this deal, Bibi? ‘Sleepy Joe’? Do you think he would have made this deal? Somehow I don’t think so,” Trump asked Netanyahu.
Dodging the invitation to play Mr trumpPresidential opponent, the Israeli leader replied, “Uh, well, Mr. President, one thing I can tell you is that we appreciate anyone’s help for peace in America.
“And we greatly appreciate what he has done.”
The two leaders were marking the mediation of a peace agreement between Israel and Sudan.
The two leaders were speaking at an event celebrating the start of normalization talks between Israel and the Arab-African nation of Sudan.
Trump had put the Israeli prime minister on loudspeaker in front of the assembled media and saw an opportunity for an election campaign moment.
The Israeli leader has been accused in the past of interfering in American elections. In 2012, he met the Republican candidate Mitt romney during the electoral campaign and attacked the policies of Barack Obama.
This time, however, with the polls suggesting a victory for Biden, a more cautious Netanyahu chose a more diplomatic tone.
Benjamin Netanyahu has previously been accused of interfering in US elections.
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There is no question that a Trump victory would be preferable for Netanyahu, whose policies in the Middle East have been endorsed and largely pushed by the Trump administration.
Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Obama-brokered Iran denuclearization deal was very well received by Netanyahu.
The historic diplomatic normalization agreements with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and now Sudan have been forged with a significant contribution from the White House, and while none of the agreements have yet been completed, they represent a major shift in regional relations.
Global diplomacy has been a key part of Trump’s re-election campaign as he seeks to demonstrate that he is a successful negotiator.
A Trump victory would be preferable for Netanyahu, although his relationship with Biden spans decades.
It is unclear how policy in the Middle East would change under Biden’s presidency.
While it is unlikely that any of the deals Trump negotiated will go through, it is likely that further attempts will be made to get the Palestinians back into the fold.
Netanyahu and Biden have a relationship that dates back decades.
Then-President Obama asked Biden to take the initiative to try to promote peace in the region.
