Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, has frequently attempted to portray himself as a close friend of American President Donald Trump, but the relationship has rarely been as straightforward as the Israeli prime minister has claimed.
And recently, there is growing rumors in the Israeli media that the two leaders’ interactions have begun to unravel.
Trump’s most recent Middle East trip, which included visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, gave rise to some notions of the gap, but not to Israel, the nation that has typically been the US’s closest ally in the area.
In the same vein, negotiations between the US and Iran, one of Israel’s most fervent regional adversaries, and the Houthi rebels in Yemen have been ongoing without any reassurances from Israel, a nation that has always valued itself as a central figure in these matters. In contrast to the growing chorus of international outcry over Israel’s actions in Gaza, US Vice President JD Vance made the decision to cancel a planned visit to Israel for what appear to be “logistical” reasons.
Israeli commentator Dana Fahn Luzon, who appeared on national television earlier this month, succinctly stated, “Trump is telling Netanyahu, Honey, I’ve had enough of you. ’”
Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and former political aide to a number of senior Israeli figures, told Al Jazeera, “We’re seeing a total breakdown of everything that might be of interest to Israel.” America was once our closest ally; We don’t appear to be sitting at the table right now. Every Israeli ought to be concerned about this. ”
Netanyahu is held responsible for this by many Israelis, Barak continued. It is obvious that Trump didn’t like it when he presented Trump with some sort of pocket. Netanyahu blundered a line. ”
No friend could be any better.
Prominent figures in the US administration are highlighting the strength of their alliance, despite growing concern about a potential rift within Israel.
Steve Witkoff, the special envoy to President Trump, stated last Sunday that while the US was trying to stop what he called a “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, there was “any daylight between President Trump’s position and Prime Minister Netanyahu’s position.”
White House National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt, who denied reports that the Trump administration was planning to “abandon” Israel if it continues to wage its occupation of Gaza, reaffirming his country’s commitment to Israel.
In addition, the Trump administration has been active in halting criticism of Israel’s occupation of Gaza in public spaces, particularly on US college campuses.
Rumeysa Ozturk, who was detained while promoting an opinion piece she co-authored for a student newspaper, was one of several international students who were detained and deported for their support of Palestine.
Spatting
The Trump administration has firmly positioned itself in Israel’s hands thanks to those policies. And it is not surprising when you consider what Trump did to his own policies during his first term in office.
Trump complied with many of the Israeli right’s demands in that capacity between 2017 and 2021, including the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite its eastern half being occupied by Palestinians, acknowledging the annexation of the Golan Heights, acknowledging that Syria is occupied, and stepping down from the Iran nuclear deal.
The Trump-Negalese relationship is reportedly strained by his actions because he is said to be angry with what he perceives as a lack of gratitude for those pro-Israel policies.
Trump also reacted furiously after Netanyahu praised former US President Joe Biden in the wake of his victory over Trump in the 2020 election, which the current president continues to dispute.
Bibi [Benjamin] Netanyahu was the first to congratulate [Biden], for whom I fought more than any other person I dealt with. Bibi might have kept quiet. In a 2021 interview, Trump claimed that he had made a terrible mistake.
However, analysts said that in the run-up to the US election of 2024, Netanyahu and his allies actively sought out Trump because they believed that using him as a means to advance their goals and maintain their occupation of Gaza.
Before the election, Netanyahu had actually campaigned for Trump, highlighting Biden’s negative reputation, according to Associate Fellow at Chatham House, Yossi Mekelberg.
Because Trump is so contractual, they are now unsure of which direction to take him. There is no win in Palestine, Mekelberg continued, referring to the string of victories the president claimed during his most recent Gulf tour.
A general consensus is emerging in the Israeli press and media that Trump is simply fed up with trying to put an end to the Gaza war that Netanyahu and his allies on the hard right have no desire to pursue.
According to reports, Trump has reportedly halted contact with Netanyahu over concerns that the Israeli prime minister may be trying to manipulate him.
Yanir Cozin, a reporter for Israeli Army Radio, quoted an unnamed Israeli official as saying, “There’s nothing Trump hates more than being played as a sucker and someone being played, so he made the decision to cut off contact.” ”
Political analyst Nimrod Flaschenberg said from Tel Aviv that there is a sense in Israel that Trump has a crush on Netanyahu. Supporters of Netanyahu are panicking because they previously believed Trump’s support was unrestrained. ”
Now what?
According to Flaschenberg, a break in Netanyahu and Trump’s relations with Trump might not automatically mean a break in Israel and the US, with all political parties spewing about what the future might hold if the two countries’ political alliances are rebalanced.
According to Mekelberg, the US’s support for Israel has been the foundation of both nations’ foreign policy for decades. Additionally, according to analysts and polls, support for Israel, while declining, is still ingrained in a large portion of Trump’s Republican base, particularly among Republican and Democratic donors.
With regard to Israel’s reliance on US support, Flaschenberg said, “Those opposed to Netanyahu and the war are hoping that the US may now apply a lasting ceasefire.” Trump has no reason to believe him, but rather because of how shocked they are by the current administration. ”
However, those on the hard right, such as Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and its national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, are also present. Mekelberg speculated that they may also be hoping to profit from any change in direction US policy toward Israel takes.
According to Mekelberg, Smotrich, and their supporters might profit from American disinterest, based on how it develops. Israel’s dream is fulfilled if the US continues to provide them with diplomatic support and weapons at the UN, he said. Smotrich has assured his supporters that allowing minimal aid into the besieged enclave would not mean that Israel would stop “destroying everything that’s left of the Gaza Strip”.
However, it’s uncertain where Netanyahu might play a role.
The Israeli prime minister’s claims that he relyed on the war to maintain the political coalition he needs to stay in office and avoid both a legal judgment in his corruption trial and a political verdict over the failures of his government prior to the bombing of the October 7, 2023 attack are widespread and persistent.
