Trump therapy at the Knesset and in Sharm el-Sheikh

The one-man show that US President Donald Trump staged first in the Knesset of Zionist, genocidal Israel and then in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, has made the new lines of Trumpism more pronounced.

TRUMPISM

The subject, of course, was stopping the genocide that has been going on in Gaza for two years, and in this respect we must say that the show Trump put on played a very important role in collecting the result. However, since we already know that Israeli aggression draws all its courage and support from the US, any US president who intended to could have done the same. But let us admit that before this Biden did not intend any such thing. Another president could not bring himself to confront the Jewish lobbies in the US and therefore preferred to follow Israel's lead; this is ordinary politics for a US president. This is without doubt something that counts in Trump's favor. Part of the show Trump displays in his effort to secure peace and end the war is to persuade the Jewish lobbies, which are still very powerful in the US in spite of everything, and perhaps to reach a solution by managing them, by not confronting them as well. His going to Israel before going to Sharm el-Sheikh, where leaders who are against Israel were gathered, is in this respect an interesting form of management.

In his speech at the Knesset, the praises he gave to Netanyahu and his team, who today have arrest warrants against them in many countries of the world on charges of genocide, and his having them applaud on their feet for minutes, must without doubt be attitudes in need of explanation at the meeting he would attend a few hours later. But Trump does this without it even crossing his mind that he would need to explain it. And nobody asks afterwards anyway. Moreover, he boasted to Netanyahu, who has committed the crime of genocide in Gaza, as though he had done well, saying "we make the best weapons in the world, and we gave Israel a lot, and you used them very well."

Then, as he recounted the great contributions he had made to Israel by moving the Embassy to Jerusalem and allowing the annexation of the Golan, he was having himself applauded on his feet in the Knesset. These were actually statements for which he should have been called to account at the meeting he would attend shortly after. Fine, you are working for peace, but how do you intend to achieve this peace, and especially the expansion of the Abraham Accords you are so keen on, with this? Which Islamic country can reach any agreement with Israel despite an occupation that has made Jerusalem exclusively Israel's capital and excluded the Palestinians from it? When you have given this so much support, how can you dream of something called the Abraham Accords? Someone should have asked this in Sharm el-Sheikh, as an opportunity, with so many people gathered.

TRUMP, IN THE KNESSET, GAVE THE GREATEST SUPPORT HE COULD TO NETANYAHU, WHO IS UNDER GREAT PRESSURE BECAUSE OF THE AGREEMENT WITH HAMAS.

In fact, rather than giving support to Netanyahu, what he did could also be described as persuading him of this peace or getting him thoroughly accustomed to the idea of this peace. He did this precisely with Trumpism's politics. To Israelis who believed that bringing back the hostages by reaching an agreement with Hamas was a humiliation, a defeat for Israel, he tried to instill that this was not a defeat but a victory. When he said repeatedly, "The hostages are coming back, can you imagine? Don't you realize how nice that sounds, this is absolutely a victory," what he was doing was truly like therapy. In the end it was as if everyone were convinced of this. Even commentators in our own media began to force out comments that really, what Israel wanted happened, they won. Yet what could be understood from that scene was only this therapy dimension. Otherwise, as everyone knows, Netanyahu and all the bloodsucking Zionists know that from the beginning of the war they have not reached any of their goals. They killed many people, but the numbers they killed were written not in the column of their victory but in the columns of impotence and humiliation. No epic of victory is written by increasing the other side's casualties by killing children. Abu Ubaida had sworn, he had said "by God, by God," "you will not be able to take back any of your hostages without the decision and will of the Qassam Brigades," and what he said came to pass. Who has won?

HOWEVER, ISRAEL NEEDED A CONSOLATION, A NARRATIVE, IN ORDER TO STAND. TRUMP GAVE THEM THIS NARRATIVE WITH HIS TRUMPIST STYLE OF POLITICS.

He did this by patting them on the back, telling them you won, praising them generously, declaring them heroes. In that respect, contrary to what some suppose, the show at the Knesset was, in my view, an event in which a peak example of Trumpist politics was displayed.

The same style of politics continued in Sharm el-Sheikh. There too, the excessively laudatory addresses of Trumpism drew attention. Both in Tel Aviv and here, Trump praises everyone whose name he mentions, excessively, and has people applaud him. Since everyone knows that Trump's most conspicuous trait is his narcissistic-level ego, where are we to put his approaching others with such praise? Truly this is a subject that needs explanation, and since the personality trait is psychological, its explanation must also be to do with psychology.

TO BE THE RECIPIENT OF TRUMP'S PRAISE, OR NOT?

Truly, when we turn to the science of psychology, you immediately understand that not so great a value should be attached to being the recipient of Trump's praise. Indeed, in the face of being the recipient of his praise, one might need to say a "selamunkavlen" (a brief greeting from afar), because here, past a certain point, praise can turn into a way of managing people.

First of all, a narcissistic person, when praising others, is in fact praising himself. He sees the person he praises as an extension of his own ideal self. "You are wonderful, because I am connected to you." This means "If you are perfect, so am I." That is, the praise is not a genuine appreciation directed at the other but a reflection of the ideal self.

There is a cycle frequently seen in narcissistic relationships: First is the idealization stage: the other party is excessively praised, declared "unique." Second, the devaluation stage: at the slightest disappointment the person is razed to the ground. Therefore praise is not an indicator of a sound bond but a temporary tool of manipulation. For this reason the narcissist's praise is generally exaggerated, sudden and out of context.

Some narcissists, on the other hand, use praise to make the other dependent (to create a sense of emotional debt), to keep the need for approval in their own hands, and to legitimize later criticisms. For example: "I really do appreciate you very much but lately you are not what you used to be…" Sentences like these are typical examples of the mechanism of first exalting and then steering.

"ONE MINUTE" TO NETANYAHU AND TO TRUMP

After all of Trump's policy of praise in Tel Aviv, his thinking that he could take Netanyahu aboard his plane to Sharm el-Sheikh, ignoring, or perhaps watering down, all the diplomatic and humanitarian realities, is an interesting move in this context. Were it not for the President's absolute refusal in the "one minute" style of politics, would many of the leaders there have swallowed this situation for the sake of a praise they might receive from Trump?

It is evident that the host withdrew immediately and extended the invitation right away. But when Erdoğan took the lead, the others pulled themselves together right away and showed the necessary reaction. Still, in Sharm el-Sheikh we saw very few people who did not fall for Trump's praise-control trap. Both Erdoğan's reaction toward Netanyahu and his listening from his seat during Trump's speech instead of lining up behind him is an expression of a dignity that makes us proud as a nation.

Of course, even with this stance Erdoğan could not escape being the recipient of Trump's praise. Thank goodness, Erdoğan is not someone who would fall for this praise.