Appearing increasingly isolated and weakened, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington this week, where he had a face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump – his eighth of the US president’s second term. Netanyahu is desperate to revive his image as the closest ally of the most powerful man in the world, but his star has fallen dramatically in Washington since his last trip.

The US president has problems of his own, so he clearly had little appetite for a photo opportunity with a deeply unpopular Israeli leader widely blamed for convincing him to launch an unwinnable war against a state few Americans saw as a serious threat.

The war has already cost at least US$37.5 billion (£28.2) billion, a 15-25% increase in gasoline prices, persistent inflation, and the deaths of 18 American servicemen.

After months seeking an invitation, Netanyahu got his opportunity while in Washington for the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham, one of Israel’s staunchest supporters in Congress.

But even before the Israeli entourage departed for Washington, Trump was plainly irritated by Israeli briefings that Netanyahu intended to present him with intelligence concerning Iran’s deeply buried “Pickaxe Mountain” nuclear facility. In an interview with Fox News, Trump dismissed the idea that Netanyahu could tell him anything new and appeared to lend credence to the view that Israel was trying to push him towards a prolonged campaign in Iran.

Trump also brushed aside Israeli........

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