Ideas

Trump Is Successfully Bullying Netanyahu

The more the president puts the prime minister in his place, the more likely it is that the Gaza war will end.

First published in The Atlantic on October 5, 2025.

by Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic

October 9, 2025 | reading time: 5 Min.

The two-year war between Israel and Hamas is at a precarious inflection point after a roller-coaster sequence of events over the past week. On Monday, President Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point plan for ending the war in Gaza, presenting it as a nonnegotiable ultimatum to Hamas. On Friday, Hamas said it would consider discussing the first 10 points, including releasing the hostages in their custody, and effectively sidestepped the rest of the points, including turning over its weapons. Trump enthusiastically accepted this lukewarm response—declaring on Truth Social that “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE”—and dragged Benjamin Netanyahu along for the ride.