The Trump-Netanyahu friendship appears over. What's that mean for the Middle East?
WASHINGTON - That best-buddy friendship between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - a personal alliance that has shaped America's Mideast policy for nearly three years - has cooled.
Instead of gushing over Netanyahu and boasting of what he called the warmest U.S.-Israeli relationship in history, Trump has gradually backed away. In September, he publicly distanced himself from the prime minister when asked about Netanyahu's latest inconclusive election. "Our relations are with Israel," Trump told reporters on the White House lawn, not even uttering Netanyahu's name.
Also in September, Trump came close to meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, despite frantic attempts by Netanyahu to dissuade him. The meeting never materialized for other reasons.
As Netanyahu's political fortunes are faltering, and just when he could use an
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