May 13, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, embarked on a visit to three Middle Eastern countries. However, Israel, a traditional ally of the US, was not included in the itinerary, attracting public attention.
The Times of Israel stated that through this visit, Trump is significantly enhancing the status of Gulf countries, which in some way also means that Israel's regional importance has decreased in Trump's considerations.
American political news website pointed out that Trump's trip to the Middle East highlights the fact that compared with many neighboring countries, Israel does not have much to offer Trump in terms of practical economic interests, and the latter prefers to govern using economic means. Israelis are beginning to realize this.
Reuters also noted that Trump bypassing Israel during his Middle Eastern tour indicates that the US is increasingly focusing on lucrative business deals with wealthy Gulf Arab countries like Qatar.
However, Trump himself denied marginalizing Israel. He said that his visit would be very beneficial for Israel.
On May 13 local time, Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia met at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Reuters.
"Netanyahu realizes that the influence of Arab countries is growing."
On May 14 local time, American political news website published an article analyzing that the three countries visited by Trump - Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates - proposed investing in the US, allowing their affiliated enterprises to sign agreements with the Trump family business, and purchasing a large number of American weapons. On May 13 local time, Saudi Arabia alone promised to invest $60 billion in the US, including arms sales worth nearly $142 billion.
Israel, on the other hand, relies on billions of dollars from American taxpayers each year to purchase weapons. The report pointed out that Israel is not an oil country, which is one of the main reasons why it is not as wealthy as Gulf Arab countries. Additionally, Israel is embroiled in an expensive war in the Gaza Strip, which Trump hopes will end.
Analysts emphasized that Israel is not only at a disadvantage financially but also disappointed Trump because it made too many demands.
"Stop being so annoying," the analyst said.
However, Israel also has advantages, including its political relationship with the US, security, technology, and intelligence cooperation, as well as a deep historical partnership. But specifically to Trump and this moment, Israel lacks economic benefits to provide, which is a potential weakness in its ability to influence Trump.
The report pointed out that there are signs that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu realizes that the influence of Arab countries may be growing.
On May 12 local time, it was reported that Netanyahu told Israeli lawmakers that Israel needs to break away from its dependence on about $4 billion in annual military aid from the US. Doing so might please Trump and also cater to some forces within the Republican Party who question US aid to Israel.
Another sign indicating that Israel realizes the growing influence of Arab countries over Trump is Foreign Minister Saar's statement that now is the time for his government to maintain good relations with the new leadership in Syria. The report pointed out that this is what many Arab countries hope to see.
On May 13 local time, Trump said he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria. The report suggested that part of the reason for this was to satisfy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia.
Although Trump has done many actions that pleased Netanyahu and the right-wing in Israel during his first term, this time, his actions shocked and disappointed Israeli leaders and their colleagues.
The report pointed out that such behaviors include, but are not limited to, Trump's decision to negotiate with Iran regarding its nuclear program instead of approving an Israeli attack on Iran's nuclear facilities; Trump's decision to cease fire with Houthi rebels despite their continued missile attacks on Israel; Hamas releasing a detained person with dual US-Israeli citizenship, Aiden Alexander, but still detaining many Israelis; reports suggest that even if Saudi Arabia does not normalize relations with the Israeli government, Trump may still reach a civilian nuclear energy agreement with Saudi Arabia.
The Times of Israel pointed out that for Trump and Netanyahu-led Israel, this seems not to be a "he is not interested in you" issue, but rather an "I will continue regardless of whether or not you are involved" situation.
"In Trump's appreciation of progress in the Gulf Arab states, there is an implicit downgrade of Israel's position as the leading power and major innovator in the region, as well as a tech pioneer and investment hotspot." The Times of Israel wrote.
Marginalizing Israel? Trump Denies It
According to reports by American political news website and Reuters, the White House denied the existence of any rift.
James Hewitt, spokesperson for the National Security Council, stated that the US government will continue to cooperate with Israel to release the remaining 58 hostages and strengthen security in the Middle East. "Israel has never had a better friend than President Trump in history."
The Israeli Embassy in Washington stated that the relationship between the two countries is "built on shared values and a commitment to regional and global stability."
It was reported that the release of hostage Alexander was facilitated by officials from the US, Qatar, Egypt, and Hamas, and Israel was not involved.
Aiden Alexander NBC News screenshot
This week, when asked if he was worried about the release of Alexander leading to Israel being marginalized, a spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, "The US is a sovereign nation." "Direct dialogue between Israel and the US will take place, not through the media."
According to The Times of Israel, on May 14 local time, Trump said aboard Air Force One that Israel would not be marginalized due to his trip to the Gulf Arab states, "which is good for Israel."
Trump believed that maintaining good relations with these countries is very beneficial for Israel.
At present, Netanyahu has not commented on this, only expressing gratitude for Trump's help in releasing Alexander.
The report commented that what Trump said might be true, but on the premise that Israeli leaders can prove their ability to utilize these relationships. The longer Israel fails to symbolically and practically sit alongside the US President at the "main table," the narrower its room for maneuver will become.
This article is an exclusive article by Guancha Observer and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7504552598578528805/
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