If Trump and Netanyahu are crazy, what does that make the rest of us?

In a commentary piece, David Brin reflects on the public's perception of sanity in light of the reported "crazy" exchanges between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. Brin suggests that if these two leaders are deemed erratic, the question then becomes, "what does that make the rest of us?"

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Who knows if the dialogue, as reported by Barak Ravid on Axios, in which Trump called Bibi “f**king crazy,” and boasted that the prime minister would be in prison without him, is accurate or not.

The author posits that Netanyahu and Trump have historically "exploited each other" for mutual benefit. However, Brin observes that Trump now appears to have less need for Israel, particularly as Israel is excluded from negotiations between the US, Iran, and Arab partners aimed at ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Israel, in this view, has become a "thorn in his side."

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Netanyahu and Trump have always exploited each other to gain what they needed at any given time.

Brin highlights the apparent lack of concern from Trump regarding Hezbollah's attacks on Israeli civilians if it jeopardizes a potential deal with Iran. He also touches upon Netanyahu's potential "craziness" for repeatedly vowing to destroy enemies without achieving decisive victory. The acquiescence to Trump's demand that Israel refrain from attacking Hezbollah in Beirut has led to a sense of "impotence" among Israeli officials, who feel the country is no longer making its own decisions.

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Trump doesn’t really care that Hezbollah terrorists are attacking Israeli civilians in an ongoing war, if it means that Israel’s retaliation and attempt to stop their aggression places a possible deal with Iran in jeopardy.

The piece concludes by noting a significant lesson learned since October 7: there seems to be no avenue for "total victory" against adversaries like Hezbollah, Hamas, or Iran. Instead, the strategy appears to be one of "containment and temporary lulls." Brin speculates that Trump may have abandoned his initial goals against Iran, perhaps realizing they were unachievable or detrimental to his political standing and economic concerns.

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How many times can you repeat the same script, vowing to destroy the enemy’s capabilities by using firepower… yet the end result is that the enemy is still there and posing a threat?