Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Fast Forward

Will Trump Try Creepy Handshake On Bibi?

We know there are some big issues at stake when Donald Trump meets Benjamin Netanyahu: peace with the Palestinians, Iran’s nuclear threat, the endless bloody war in Syria, to name a few.

But inquiring minds really want to know: Will Trump try his weird handshake thing on Israel’s top guy — and will Bibi find a way to avoid it?

The Donald’s bizarro super-long, awkward and aggressive herky-jerky 19-second greeting threw Japanese premier Shinzo Abe for a loop.

He’s done the same thing before with Vice President Mike Pence, Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch and others, often pulling them in as he continues to shake their hand for several seconds past the comfort zone.

Canada’s Justin Trudeau had obviously been briefed on the Orange Menace’s predatory predilections. The heartthrob guy from north of the border moved in first by gripping Trump’s shoulder and preventing the mogul-turned-leader of the semi-free world from controlling the encounter.

Getting back to our question, what will Bibi do?

The Israeli premier seems acutely aware of interpersonal dynamics, often using gestures to convey his unspoken feelings. But only time will tell if he has met his match in the famously controlling new president.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.