Israelis have reacted strongly to what amounts to a naked power grab. These changes have led to the largest protests in the nation’s history. Riot police have responded with beatings, water cannons, and the use of chemical irritants. Medical professionals are threatening a strike, and over 10,000 reserve officers are refusing to drill, including many Israeli Air Force pilots. The move has brought the U.S. to uncharacteristically offer mild rebukes, which is telling given the lengths to which the U.S. has in the past avoided criticizing Israel. Like other strongmen, dictators, and autocrats, Netanyahu and his coalition would very much like to see Trump return to power.
If Trump were to return to power, multiple sources (including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Economist) are reporting that he and his people have every intention of seizing unitary power in ways that are very similar to what Netanyahu is doing, to implement highly unpopular policies and avoid leaving power in perpetuity. These include gutting the federal government to install loyalists, withdrawing from NATO, instituting a host of anti-LGBT laws and policies, banning abortion (with no functional exceptions), and using the military domestically. Worse, Trump clearly plans on weaponizing the Department of Justice, the FBI, the IRS, and every other federal agency against his enemies. Similarly, people associated with extremist movements like the Three Percenters and the Proud Boys will be allowed to flourish inside and outside of government.