Since the onset of its war in Gaza, Israel has operated without meaningful consequences. In this week’s Quick Take, Ian Bremmer explains how that may be changing. Pressure from the UAE, Trump, and European governments could force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to rethink unilateral strategies.

“The UAE saying they’d leave the Abraham accords … that’s a consequence that matters,” Ian notes.

President Trump has also called West Bank annexation a “red line,” while European nations weigh boycotts, visa restrictions, and other steps that could leave Israelis feeling isolated. All this has the potential to undermine Netanyahu’s upcoming election chances.

“The elections won’t be about a Palestinian state, but they might be about Israel’s isolation.”

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The day before the United States and Israel struck Iran on February 28, more than 150 accounts on Polymarket correctly bet it would happen on that specific date.

Last week, Microsoft announced Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers, a new initiative designed to help nonprofit leaders confidently navigate the AI era. The program provides essential AI credentials, access to a peer community, and role-based resources to support responsible, mission-driven AI adoption. Part of Microsoft’s broader Elevate commitment, the initiative builds on the company’s 50-year legacy of supporting nonprofits worldwide. Microsoft partners with nearly one million nonprofit and education organizations globally and will deliver more than $5 billion in discounts, donations, and grants in the coming year. By equipping those closest to social challenges with the tools to lead, Microsoft Elevate for Changemakers helps ensure nonprofits remain at the forefront of AI-powered solutions. Read the full blog here.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office, as U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum look on, on the day he signs an executive order, at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 23, 2025.
REUTERS/Kent Nishimura

The US president has now suggested several times that the Iran war could end without reopening the Strait of Hormuz.