以色列关键大选还有几天之际，以色列总理本杰明·内塔尼亚胡周日获得了他长期朋友、美国总统唐纳德·特朗普的临时连任背书。
With days to go before a crucial general election in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received a last-minute endorsement for re-election on Sunday from his longtime friend, U.S. President Donald Trump.
“比比·内塔尼亚胡是一位伟大的战士总理，也是在对抗伊朗伊斯兰共和国方面更伟大的和平伙伴，”特朗普周日在Truth Social上发帖说。“请让这封信代表我对比比·内塔尼亚胡即将进行的以色列总理连任竞选的完全和全面支持。”
“Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump posted on Truth Social Sunday. “Please let this Letter serve to represent my Complete and Total Endorsement of Bibi Netanyahu in his upcoming Race for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Israel.”
这是一次响亮的、尽管来得迟的推荐，对象是特朗普在过去几个月里因内塔尼亚胡政府如何处理中东冲突而与其意见不一的人。特朗普向Axios记者巴拉克·拉维德解释了他延迟背书的原因，称他一直打算背书内塔尼亚胡，因为他们“关系良好，并且将继续一起做好事”。特朗普在帖子中表示，如果以色列出现“错误的领导人，即任何非比比的人”，美国将不得不独自面对伊朗威胁。美国和以色列在2月底共同袭击了伊朗，引发了一场不仅动摇全球市场，还将中东地区安全推向动荡的冲突。
It’s a ringing, albeit late, recommendation for someone Trump hasn’t seen eye-to-eye with in recent months over how Netanyahu’s government has navigated the Middle East conflict. Trump explained his delayed endorsement to Axios reporter Barak Ravid, saying that he’d always meant to endorse Netanyahu because they “have a good relationship, and because we’ll continue to do good things together.”Trump said in his post that, if Israel were to have “the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi,” the U.S. would be left alone to face the Iran threat. The U.S. and Israel jointly struck Iran in late February, kickstarting a conflict that has not only upended global markets but also thrust Middle Eastern regional security into turmoil.
“面对巨大的反对，包括来自以色列本身的反对，比比·内塔尼亚胡表现得坚强、勇敢且卓越，”特朗普补充道，这显然是指内塔尼亚胡面临的国内挑战，包括一场腐败审判，美国总统此前曾试图影响其中一些审判。“尽管如此，他挺过来了，事实上，他还越来越好！”特朗普的背书来自以色列人于10月27日前往投票站投票之前，大约是该国与恐怖组织哈马斯之间的战争爆发三年之后。此后，内塔尼亚胡因未能兑现恢复地区安全的承诺而受到反对者的批评。
“Bibi Netanyahu has been Strong, Brave, and Brilliant in the face of tremendous opposition, including that coming from even Israel, itself,” Trump added, in apparent reference to Netanyahu’s domestic challenges, including a corruption trial, some of which the U.S. President has previously tried to influence. “Despite all of that, he has endured and, in fact, he has thrived!”Trump’s endorsement comes just before Israelis head to the polling booths on Oct. 27, some three years after the country’s war with terror group Hamas ignited. Since then, Netanyahu has been criticized by opponents for failing to deliver on his promise of restoring regional security.
公众对内塔尼亚胡的失望是导致“直行！”（“Yashar!”）政党成立的几个因素之一。该党的创始人、前以色列国防军参谋长加迪·艾森科特正在挑战内塔尼亚胡争夺总理职位。艾森科特的儿子和侄子在加沙地带的战争中遇难。
Public disillusionment with Netanyahu was among several factors that led to the formation of the Yashar! (“Straight!”) Party, whose founder, former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, is challenging Netanyahu for the premiership. Eisenkot’s son and nephews were killed in the war in the Gaza Strip.
目前尚不清楚内塔尼亚胡将从特朗普的背书中获得多大的选举提振。耶路撒冷非营利组织“犹太人民政策研究所”（JPPI）本月发布的一项民意调查显示，大多数以色列人仍视特朗普为以色列的好朋友。然而，JPPI的另一项民意调查显示，人们对特朗普的信任已经削弱。艾森科特对特朗普的背书作出反应，在特拉维夫的一场活动中表示，虽然他感激特朗普，但只有以色列人才能决定他们的下一任总理。一些调查显示，“直行！”政党与内塔尼亚胡领导的右翼利库德党的竞争非常激烈。
It’s unclear how big of an electoral boost Netanyahu will get from Trump’s endorsement. An opinion poll from nonprofit The Jewish People Policy Institute in Jerusalem released this month shows that most Israelis still see Trump as a great friend of Israel. A separate opinion poll from JPPI, however, shows their trust in him has eroded. Eisenkot, reacting to Trump’s endorsement, said at an event in Tel Aviv that while he appreciates Trump, only Israelis will decide on their next Prime Minister. Some surveys show Yashar! is in a tight race with Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party.
尽管如此，内塔尼亚胡仍在社交媒体上发布的一段视频中感谢了他“亲爱的朋友唐纳德”，表示他感到“荣幸”和“谦卑”于特朗普的支持，并补充说，美国“有幸”拥有特朗普作为其领导人，以在伊朗去核化的斗争中取得胜利。
Netanyahu nonetheless thanked his “dear friend Donald” in a video posted on social media, saying he was “honored” and “humbled” by Trump’s backing, adding that the U.S. was “fortunate” to have Trump as its leader in the fight to denuclearize Iran.
特朗普与内塔尼亚胡关系复杂。即使在特朗普成为美国总统之前，他就公开背书支持内塔尼亚胡，尽管特朗普当时仍只是2013年的一名电视人物，他说是以色列政治家主动要求的。自特朗普首次当选以来，两人一直是政治盟友和朋友。然而，自特朗普去年重返白宫以来，他们的关系经历了多次起伏。
Trump and Netanyahu’s fraught friendship Even before Trump became U.S. President, he had publicly endorsed Netanyahu, though Trump, still only a TV personality in 2013, said that the Israeli politician asked for it. Since Trump was first elected, the two have been political allies and friends. Their relationship, however, has seen a number of ups and downs since Trump returned to the White House last year.
内塔尼亚胡是特朗普第二任期政府期间首位受邀访问白宫的外国领导人，此后他多次与特朗普会面。去年6月，内塔尼亚胡敦促特朗普打击伊朗的三个关键核设施。去年11月，特朗普给以色列总统以撒克·赫尔佐格写了一封信，请求他赦免内塔尼亚胡因长期进行的腐败审判，而美国总统认为这是一场“政治性的、毫无根据的起诉”。
Netanyahu was the first foreign leader invited to the White House during Trump’s second-term Administration, and he has met with Trump repeatedly since. Netanyahu pushed Trump to target three key Iranian nuclear facilities in June last year. Last November, Trump sent a letter to Israeli President Isaac Herzog, asking him to pardon Netanyahu on his drawn out corruption trial, which the U.S. President deemed to be “political, unjustified prosecution.”
2月11日，特朗普与内塔尼亚胡在白宫举行闭门会晤时，以色列和美国未能就如何推进伊朗问题达成协议。内塔尼亚胡长期寻求斩首伊朗领导层，但当时特朗普坚持通过谈判解决。尽管如此，内塔尼亚胡据称当月晚些时候仍施压特朗普发动对伊朗的行动。
On Feb. 11, when Trump and Netanyahu met in a closed-door meeting at the White House, Israel and the U.S. failed to reach an agreement on how to proceed with Iran. Netanyahu has long sought to decapitate the Iranian leadership, but Trump at the time insisted on negotiations. Netanyahu, nonetheless, reportedly pressed Trump to launch the Iran operation later that month.
自上次会晤以来，两人的关系发生了显著变化。特朗普此后一直试图寻找伊朗战争的退出途径，但以色列的行动使得和平谈判变得棘手。
Since their last meeting, their relationship has markedly shifted. Trump has since tried to find an off-ramp to the war in Iran, but Israel’s actions made such peace deal talks thorny.
3月，以色列对波斯湾的伊朗南帕斯气田发动袭击后，特朗普表示他曾告诉内塔尼亚胡停止此类袭击。随后，4月17日，特朗普在Truth Social上宣称以色列“被禁止”进一步轰炸黎巴嫩，当时以色列正与武装组织真主党在那里交战。然而，内塔尼亚胡坚持认为以色列军队将继续驻扎在黎巴嫩南部，且安全威胁仍在持续——这使得华盛顿推动和平的努力变得复杂，因为德黑兰表示任何协议都必须包括停止对黎巴嫩的袭击。
In March, after Israel attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf, Trump said he told Netanyahu to stop such attacks. Then, on April 17, Trump declared on Truth Social that Israel was “PROHIBITED” from further bombing Lebanon, where it was at war with the militant group Hezbollah. Netanyahu, however, insisted that Israeli troops would remain in southern Lebanon and that security threats persisted—complicating Washington’s efforts toward peace as Tehran indicated that any deal would need to include a halt of the attacks in Lebanon.
内塔尼亚胡六月下令对黎巴嫩首都贝鲁特的真主党据点发动打击，以报复该组织据称对以色列发动的袭击，特朗普随即致电内塔尼亚胡，痛斥这位以色列总理，据报道称他为“该死的疯子”。CNBC就此通话询问内塔尼亚胡时，内塔尼亚胡表示：“我们有共同的目标。有时，就像在最好的家庭里一样，会出现这些战术分歧。我们总能找到解决办法，并且我们会以挚友的身份这样做。”
When Netanyahu in June ordered strikes on a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut to retaliate against the group’s alleged attacks on Israel, Trump phoned and excoriated the Israeli Prime Minister, reportedly calling him “f-cking crazy.”Asked by CNBC about the call, Netanyahu said: “We have common goals. Sometimes we have, as in the best of families, you have these tactical disagreements. We always find a way to work them out, and we do so as great friends.”
内塔尼亚胡七月进行第七次访美期间，特朗普公开表达了他的沮丧。在福克斯新闻的电话采访中，特朗普就有关以色列领导人计划分享显示伊朗重建核计划的情报的报道批评了内塔尼亚胡。美国总统说：“我不需要比比告诉我这个。比比告诉我这个，是因为他希望我继续参与其中。”内塔尼亚胡是特朗普联合国替代方案“和平委员会”的成员，不过以色列再次与美国总统决裂，拒绝让土耳其和卡塔尔代表进入该委员会的子小组——加沙执行委员会，该小组负责监督加沙地带战后重建。
During Netanyahu’s seventh U.S. visit in July, Trump went public with his frustration. During a telephone interview on Fox News, Trump criticized Netanyahu over reports that the Israeli leader planned to share intelligence showing Iran rebuilding its nuclear program. The U.S. President said: “I don’t need Bibi to tell me that. Bibi is telling me that because he wants me to stay involved.”Netanyahu is part of Trump’s U.N. alternative called the Board of Peace, though Israel broke again with the U.S. President by rejecting having Turkish and Qatari representatives on the board’s subpanel, the Gaza Executive Board, which is tasked with overseeing post-war reconstruction in the Gaza Strip.
随后，内塔尼亚胡拒绝了“和平委员会”推进加沙地带停火的15点计划，并坚称以色列不会在哈马斯完全解除武装之前撤军。
Then Netanyahu rejected the Board of Peace’s 15-point plan to advance a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and insisted that Israel would not withdraw before Hamas fully disarmed.
在特朗普九月下旬接受《时代》周刊的长篇采访中，当被反复问及以色列民众是否应给内塔尼亚胡另一个任期时，特朗普没有直接回答。“我只能说，我不再参与政治了，”美国总统说。
In Trump’s extensive interview with TIME in late September, Trump did not answer directly when asked repeatedly if the Israeli population should give Netanyahu another term. “I can only say that I’m not involved in politics anymore,” the U.S. President said.
但尽管当时没有明确的支持，特朗普似乎相信“比比”仍能获胜。“人们已经多次、多次地看衰比比，就像他们多次、多次地看衰我一样，”特朗普对《时代》周刊说。“我不会低估比比。”
But despite the lack of clear endorsement then, Trump seemed confident that “Bibi” could still win. “People have written off Bibi many, many times, just like they’ve written off me many, many times,” Trump told TIME. “I wouldn’t underestimate Bibi.”