Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a picture during his conversation with President Trump of a World War II book on his desk.
The photo of him includes multiple blurred items, including his telephone and miscellaneous desk items, but the book “Allies at War: How the Struggles Between the Allied Powers Shaped the War and the World” is made clear.
The photo comes amid Saturday’s massive military operation against Iran conducted by the U.S. and Israel.
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz said the country had launched a “pre-emptive attack” against Iran, declaring a “special and permanent state of emergency” across his country.
The U.S. president monitored the situation overnight at his Mar-a-Lago estate alongside members of his national security team, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. She confirmed that Mr. Trump spoke with Mr. Netanyahu by phone.
Mr. Netanyahu dubbed the attack Operation Roaring Lion, stating that it was “to remove the existential threat posed by the terrorist regime in Iran.”
“The time has come for all segments of the people in Iran — the Persians, the Kurds, the Azeris, the Balochis, and the Ahwazis — to rid themselves of the yoke of tyranny and bring about a free and peace-seeking Iran,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Trump have long shared a close political and strategic relationship rooted in hardline positions on Iran, and the picture seems to be an attempt to reinforce the idea of coordinated leadership and united action between allies.
The Israeli prime minister appears to be drawing a deliberate parallel between the Allied coalition of the 1940s and today’s U.S.-Israel partnership — especially significant as the two countries conduct a large-scale operation against Iran, sparking counterattacks.
The book, written by Tim Bouverie and published last year, centers on the relationship among the three principal WWII Allies — the U.S., Britain and Soviet Union — and involves the impact of smaller countries.
The visible book becomes more than background decor, presenting itself as strategic messaging, seemingly reinforcing the two countries’ relationship at a time of heightened regional tension.
• Mary McCue Bell can be reached at mbell@washingtontimes.com.
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