The enemies of Israel, and of President Donald Trump, have identified and exploited what may be his greatest vulnerability: his ego. Few accusations provoke him more than the suggestion that Israel is manipulating the United States or leading America into war. Rather than dismissing such claims as the propaganda of hostile actors, Trump seems determined to prove that no one directs him, even when doing so risks undermining a close ally.

His defenders argue that he is merely practicing the “art of the deal” and that judgment should be withheld until negotiations are complete. Perhaps. History often reserves its verdict until the final chapter has been written. Others, however, contend that Trump is sometimes more concerned with securing a deal that reinforces his image as the master negotiator than with achieving the morally and strategically correct outcome. In their view, the appearance of victory can become as important as victory itself.

Iran, today’s equivalent of Paris in the........

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