US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem on May 23, 2017. Photo: US Embassy in Israel.

JNS.org – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in talks with advisers close to US President Donald Trump about the possibility of arranging a dramatic diplomatic gesture ahead of Israel’s September 17 election, according to a report in Israeli daily Haaretz.

One option reportedly being discussed is an American statement of intent for the creation of a “defense pact” with Israel.

Such a “pact” could consist of a statement by Trump that the United States is committed to Israel’s defense, or it could be a more significant declaration by both leaders of their intention to enter into a formal mutual defense agreement at some future date.

The two countries already have very close military and intelligence cooperation, but the idea of a formal defense pact is highly controversial in the Israeli defense establishment due to concerns that Israel’s operational flexibility would be severely limited by such an agreement.