The myth that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu controls U.S. President Donald Trump is an extension of the antisemitic trope that Jews control the United States — and the media, academia, banks and the global economy.
The control is supposedly so extensive that university campuses and the media have increasingly become propaganda arms of Hamas and Hezbollah. These are no longer just fringe extremists. Even former U.S. vice president Kamala Harris herself recently said Trump was dragged into war by Netanyahu. Is that so?
Iran is the center of gravity of the axis of evil: a country with a glorious history and a deranged leadership.
“From the first day of the Iranian Revolution,” Yigal Carmon, president of Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), told me, “Iran expanded its capabilities to enormous levels that threaten the United States. That includes the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles designed to strike the eastern United States, and terrorist proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi militias and networks operating within the West under academic, social and religious cover. According to the Iranians themselves, they are developing weapons that threaten the United States.”
Iran is a massive terror monster disguised as a state. Its anthem is “Death to America,” alongside “Death to Israel.” So Netanyahu dragged Trump into war?
Power relations
Let us set aside the myths and conspiracies. In practice, Trump exercises complete control over Netanyahu. Consider several examples:
- On Jan. 11, 2025, before Trump returned to the White House, his special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel, forced Netanyahu to meet him on Shabbat and imposed the second hostage deal on him.
- By the 12th day of Operation Rising Lion, it was Trump who ordered Netanyahu to stop the war, including recalling Israeli Air Force planes already on their way to strike Iran.
- It was Trump who, in September 2025, forced Netanyahu to apologize to Qatar’s ruler following Israel’s failed assassination attempt of Hamas leaders in Doha.
- It was Trump who imposed the 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan on Netanyahu, including the establishment of a Palestinian state.
- It was Trump who imposed the October 2025 ceasefire and hostage-release agreement on Netanyahu. On Oct. 9, Witkoff and Jared Kushner even attended the Israeli Cabinet meeting to oversee approval of the deal.
- It was Trump, not Netanyahu, who declared during protests in Iran in January that “help is on its way” — before the supposedly decisive Feb. 11 meeting between the two leaders.
- Trump also forced Netanyahu into another ceasefire, both with Iran and Hezbollah, despite unfinished operations against both.
Is that Israeli control over America?
Netanyahu presented Trump with intelligence materials. That was his job. According to reports, Saudi Arabia also pressed Trump to eliminate the Iranian threat. But Trump made the decision to strike Iran based on American interests.
2 View gallery
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump in the White House
(Photo: Avi Ohayon/GPO)
These are the facts. Yet what Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens say in Act One, even Kamala Harris repeats in Act Three.
It is somewhat sad that Netanyahu has lost his independence and that Trump controls him without challenge. But there are already enough myths about Jewish control of America. There is no need for another one.
To be clear, Trump and Netanyahu do indeed have a “special relationship.” Netanyahu has met Trump more than any other world leader. But these are relations of subordination — complete Trump control over Netanyahu. And those relations have problematic strategic implications.
Behind the pardon push
Some may ask: How can Trump’s intense pressure on President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu be explained? It is an excellent question — and it proves the point.
Trump knows there is only a slim chance the pressure will actually produce a pardon. So why apply it? Because the pressure is meant to deepen the “special relationship.” It makes Netanyahu far more obedient and subordinate.
Can Netanyahu refuse any Trump demand when the U.S. president himself is intervening so aggressively in Israel’s legal system to secure a pardon? The result is submission, not a pardon.
It is worth recalling Prime Minister Menachem Begin’s 1982 speech, when the United States threatened to cut aid to Israel over settlement construction in the West Bank.
“Do not threaten us with cutting aid,” Begin said. “It will not work. I am not a Jew with trembling knees. I am a proud Jew with 3,700 years of civilized history ... We will stand by our principles, defend them, and if necessary die for them again — with or without your aid.”
Does anyone seriously believe today’s Netanyahu would say even a tenth of what Begin said? The answer is obvious. It is the result of Trump’s complete control over Netanyahu.
The world’s most hated
The myth of Israeli influence over the United States is a direct continuation of the myth of Jewish control over the global media. In reality, Israel is among the world’s most vilified countries.
For a moment, it is worth saying: It is unfortunate the claims about Jewish control are false. Because if there were even a grain of truth to them, Israel’s standing in the global media would look very different.
In the BBC’s latest international survey, conducted in 27 countries among 28,000 respondents, Israel ranked last. Only 17% expressed a positive view of Israel, while 56% held a negative view. Iran was very close behind Israel, with 18% positive and 54% negative. Those are the facts.
One libel too far
And speaking of alleged Jewish control of the media, another line appears to have been crossed this week.
Nicholas Kristof, one of the leading columnists at the increasingly declining New York Times, published what amounted to an investigative opinion piece alleging that Israel not only rapes Palestinian prisoners but also trains dogs to rape Palestinians.
Ben-Dror YeminiIt is embarrassing to have to debunk this pornography masquerading as journalism. But there is no choice.
Researcher Salo Eisenberg worked extensively on refuting the claims. He is not a public diplomacy operative. He is perhaps one of the most effective independent researchers exposing lie after lie from what the author describes as the “industry of lies” surrounding the Gaza war.
This time, however, the backlash spread beyond pro-Israel circles.
CNN commentator Scott Jennings sharply attacked the article, calling it “a journalistic atrocity.” Rachel O’Donoghue of The Wall Street Journal did the same.
Across social media, readers posted cancellations of their New York Times subscriptions, saying: “Enough.”
Meanwhile, the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem embraced the allegations, in what the author described as “another moral low.”
The story is not over. Facts will not confuse Israel’s critics. And those who barely understand what they are discussing — including Israelis and Jews — continue strengthening them with claims about Netanyahu controlling Trump.
- Ben-Dror Yemini is a journalist, researcher, jurist and author of the book Industry of Lies: Media, Academia, and the Israeli-Arab Conflict.