While GOP primary front runner Donald Trump‘s ideas haven’t been well-received by a large portion of the American public, the fact that Trump continues increasing his lead in the polls indicates there’s more than just “bite” to what he’s saying.

The American public is tired of Hispanic illegals bringing crime, values largely viewed as “anti-American” and generation upon generation of welfare to the U.S. They’re also tired of America’s inability to deal with the growing threat of Islamic terror. Americans want real change. (Obviously, not the type of “change” promised by the Obama administration). They want a strong America capable of deterring Putin and Islamic terror from the outside, while drastically reforming the American education system, and strengthening the economy from within.

Trump’s call to ban Muslims from immigrating to the U.S. may be unconstitutional, but it makes perfect sense both to me as someone who’s lived in Israel during two Intifadas both of which have stemmed from Israel’s government’s appeasement of Arab terror and incitement–and to a large portion of Americans. It probably makes sense to Netanyahu as well. But the Israeli leader made a diplomatic blunder when he publicly denounced Trump’s comments on Muslims. Trump had already announced plans to visit Israel and make an official trip to the Temple Mount. It would have played into Israel’s hands to have a presidential candidate reaffirm the Jewish State’s inherent right to the holiest place in the Judaism at a time of growing tensions that have resulted in the “Palestinian’s” propaganda campaign against Jewish presence on the Mount, but Netanyahu’s comments were understandably an affront to Trump, a self-made billionaire who embraces the “haughty” label, leading him to cancel the trip.

So why did Netanyahu call out Trump on something he should, in theory, agree with wholeheartedly? It could be Netanyahu’s tendency to try to outdo everyone else in terms of political correctness, but there’s more likelihood it was a call from the White House telling Bibi to behave “or else.” (America is our “Big Brother,” they “give” us all that money and veto UN calls to condemn Israel that would hardly have any effect in any case, so it’s only natural they get to direct our every move. Yes, indeed…).

If it was American pressure, Netanyahu had the choice to say “No” just as he could have at Wye in 1996 and countless times since. Former Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir never caved in to American pressure. Why should Netanyahu be any different? Perhaps his inability to stand up to America is the one factor that best defines Bibi’s premiership.

Israel needs strong, unrelenting leadership with a clear vision for the future. In shunning Donald Trump at the most inopportune moment, Netanyahu once again demonstrated he’s not fit for the job he was elected to do. The bigger issue, however, is the Israeli public’s continued support for him and his policy of maintaining the status quo at a time when extending Israel’s jurisdiction over all of Judea and Samaria would likely mitigate the latest wave of “Palestinian” violence, especially given Abu Mazen’s susceptibility. The Trump fiasco is just one sign of a wider problem.