The Israeli Ultra-Hawks Who Feel Betrayed by Trump’s Iran Deal

In exchange for Iran opening the Strait of Hormuz—which was open before the war began—and agreeing not to develop nuclear weapons, the United States will end its blockade of Iran, end sanctions on the country, and help facilitate its reconstruction. The deal, which represents a remarkable climbdown by the Trump Administration, has been harshly criticized by both American hawks and Israelis across the political spectrum, who view it as more favorable to Iran than the 2015 nuclear deal that was negotiated by former President Barack Obama, and which was later torn up by Trump, during his first term. The current deal also presents real difficulties for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who encouraged Trump to start the conflict, and was planning to flaunt his closeness to Trump in his reëlection campaign later this year. (One poll taken after the announcement of a deal found Trump’s approval rating in Israel falling twenty points, to thirty-eight per cent.)

I recently spoke by phone with Shimon Riklin, one of the anchors of Israel’s Channel 14, which is famous for its right-wing slant and strong pro-Netanyahu line. Riklin was long known for founding Israeli settlements; he eventually became a close ally of Netanyahu’s. He has condemned Trump’s Iran deal, calling it “total surrender.” During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed why he believes that Trump betrayed Israel, his contention that Iran is the modern world’s Nazi Germany, and whether the war should ever have been undertaken in the first place.

How are you feeling about the emerging deal between the United States and Iran?