President Donald Trump surprised many when he waved off an Israeli plan to strike Iran’s nuclear sites in favor of negotiations, despite the pleading of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Although the president promised he’d be “leading the pack” to war if he can’t strike a deal that prevents Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, the leaking of Israel’s strike plans to The New York Times exposed a growing divide within the Republican coalition—between its hawkish wing and an ascendant group skeptical of any U.S. military offensive in the Middle East.
The entire episode—still unfolding—has been a stark reminder that the close relationship between Israel and the United States does not always work in Israel’s favor, despite the billions of dollars in foreign aid that the U.S. gives Israel every year.