Trump and Netanyahu’s continued disregard in an “unprecedented political impasse”
The American newspaper continued: When Trump shook hands with the new Syrian official during his trip to Saudi Arabia and promised to lift sanctions, we saw how the US president’s diplomacy ignores Israel.
Trump called Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, whom the US once had a bounty on his head, “a tough man with a very strong past.”
This is while in recent decades, Israel has had a special place in US foreign policy from both parties and under every president, and Netanyahu, who has been in power for most of the past two decades, has always been a key player in the Middle East debate, even though he has sometimes angered his American counterparts.
On the other hand, despite not stopping in Tel Aviv on Trump’s tour and dismissing concerns about Israel being sidelined, his five-day trip to the Middle East emphasized a new dynamic in which Israel, and especially Netanyahu, are the next priority.
Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, told the New York Times: “The general feeling is that the focus and the perception of interests are shifting more towards the Gulf states, where the money is.”
“Trump seems to have lost interest in working with Netanyahu to resolve the Gaza war because he thinks it’s not going to work. Netanyahu has his position, and he’s not giving up. Hamas has its position. It seems to be a hopeless stalemate,” the former Israeli official added.
But Trump’s disregard for Israel is not limited to his Middle East trip; earlier this month he surprised many in Israel by abruptly announcing a ceasefire with Yemen’s Houthis, even as Tel Aviv continues its attacks on Yemen.
A few days later, in another move, the Trump administration announced the release of Aidan Alexander, the last American prisoner held in Gaza, without Israeli intervention.
Nadav Strokler, a former adviser to Netanyahu, explained to the New York Times that while the Israeli prime minister still has contact with Trump, the relationship is different from what he had with previous US presidents.
“Under Joe Biden, Netanyahu could delay decisions. But with Trump, decisions are made quickly without Netanyahu’s knowledge. It’s a change that worries many Israelis.”
The New York Times analyst went on to describe Trump’s change in approach to Israel in his second administration compared to his first as a “stunning turnaround” and argued that while Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in his first administration, he has now shocked Israelis with his sudden and stunning decisions. This is evident even in the Israeli media and newspapers.