A top lifelong supporter of Israel is now publicly breaking with the country, saying its leaders chose endless war over peace.

• Billionaire Ron Lauder, a former head of the World Jewish Congress and one of Israel's most hardline backers for decades, says he's done — he's sold his property there and has no plans to return.
• He says he personally negotiated a real peace deal with Syria and Lebanon decades ago, got both sides to agree, and Netanyahu refused to sign it — proof, he says, that Netanyahu never actually wanted peace.
• He blames current far-right ministers for turning even loyal allies like Jordan against Israel, and says the country now acts like a "banana republic" where one leader ignores democratic rules.
• This follows a pattern he says has repeated for years: Israel agrees to ceasefires in Gaza and Lebanon, then breaks them and holds onto captured land anyway.
• His break matters because it is coming from an insider who helped fund and organize Israel's political support in the U.S. and Europe, not a longtime critic.

Outlook: With Netanyahu's party still leading in the polls, expect the hardline path to continue, and this public split from a major backer to put more pressure on Israel's standing abroad.