Trump just told Netanyahu to take a backseat as America’s interests now come first – leaving Israel completely blindsided by a series of unilateral deals that undermine their regional security goals.
At a Glance
- Trump’s administration has made several major Middle East moves without consulting Israel, including a ceasefire with the Houthis and direct talks with Hamas
- Trump is skipping Israel on his upcoming Middle East trip, a significant diplomatic snub to Netanyahu
- U.S. dropped the requirement linking Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program to normalizing relations with Israel
- Trump’s Middle East envoy criticized Israel for prolonging a war the U.S. wants to end
- Netanyahu faces a difficult choice between maintaining his political coalition or improving strained relations with the U.S.
America First, Israel Second
Remember when everyone thought Trump 2.0 would be Israel’s golden ticket? So much for that fantasy. The honeymoon lasted about as long as a Hollywood marriage, and now Netanyahu is getting a harsh dose of what “America First” really means. Trump’s administration has embarked on a diplomatic blitz across the Middle East that has left Israeli officials stunned and sidelined. From negotiating directly with Hamas for American hostages to brokering a ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis that completely ignores their attacks on Israel, the message from Washington couldn’t be clearer: American interests trump Israeli concerns, period.
The most telling sign of this new reality? Trump’s upcoming Middle East tour will skip Israel entirely – a diplomatic slap in the face that would have been unthinkable just months ago. Adding insult to injury, Trump has essentially told Netanyahu that the Gaza war needs to wrap up, regardless of whether Israel has achieved its strategic objectives. His Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff even publicly criticized Israel for prolonging a conflict the U.S. wants over and done with. Remember when American diplomats used to clear their statements with Israel first? Those days are clearly gone.
Deals With Everyone But Israel
The list of unilateral American moves that have blindsided Israel is growing by the week. Trump’s administration negotiated directly with Hamas for the release of an American-Israeli hostage. They announced a ceasefire deal with Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis that didn’t address missile attacks on Israel. They met with Syria’s dictatorial president and lifted sanctions on Damascus without giving Israel a heads-up. And perhaps most alarming for Netanyahu, they dropped a previous demand linking Saudi Arabia’s nuclear program progress to normalizing relations with Israel – effectively removing Israel’s biggest leverage chip in regional diplomacy.
“Trump’s not against Israel, but he doesn’t care about Israel.” – Alon Pinkas.
The Israeli establishment is in shock at this sudden role reversal. After decades of extraordinary influence in Washington through connections and leveraging congressional support, Israel now finds itself on the outside looking in. Former Israeli diplomat Mitchell Barak captured the sentiment perfectly: “There is a lot of shock in Israel that the U.S. has different priorities than Israel. Until now Israel had tremendous influence on foreign policy through connections, friendships in the White House, and by leveraging support in Congress, but no longer.” Welcome to the club, Israel – now you know how every other American ally feels.
Netanyahu’s No-Win Situation
Netanyahu now faces an impossible choice that threatens both his political survival and Israel’s strategic position. If he wants to get back in Trump’s good graces, he’ll need to make major concessions on Gaza – likely accepting a ceasefire and hostage deal that falls short of his promise to eliminate Hamas. But doing so would almost certainly collapse his governing coalition, which depends on hardline parties that want the war to continue indefinitely. As former Israeli official Alon Pinkas bluntly put it: “If he wants Trump back on his side, then he needs to do things that would cost him the coalition.”
“Everyone is on edge. There’s a lot of pushback in both Washington and Jerusalem insisting that it’s actually ‘business as usual.’ But it’s giving off a sense of ‘Thou doth protest too much,'” – Shalom Lipner.
The deterioration in U.S.-Israel relations shouldn’t come as a complete shock. Trump’s “America First” doctrine was always going to prioritize concrete American interests over ideological alliances. What’s remarkable is how quickly the relationship soured after such high hopes from the Israeli right. Perhaps most revealing is Israeli Knesset member David Amsalem’s frustration: “It turns out the man is unpredictable, wakes up every morning on a different side of the bed.” Welcome to reality, folks – Trump’s loyalty has always been to himself and American interests first, not to foreign allies who can’t deliver immediate, tangible benefits to the U.S. The question now is whether Netanyahu will swallow his pride and adapt, or double down and risk further American alienation.
