Taming Netanyahu: The U.S. Radically Changes Its Middle East Policy, "Honeymoon Period" Ends

Will Trump gain the freedom to act without being constrained by Israel?

Author: Stanislav Tarasov

Photo: U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

"The 'honeymoon period' between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ended earlier than expected," concluded Israeli writer and analyst Yossi Velt after the U.S. reached a peace agreement with the Houthi armed group.

Israel has been trying to prevent this situation, bombing Sana'a airport but failing to do so.

The U.S. has announced its action plan in Gaza, intending to establish its own administration with the participation of "Palestinian technocrats." Velt believes that such developments "have pushed Netanyahu into a political dead end," as it marks a new beginning for U.S. actions in the Middle East: including agreements with the Houthis, actions in Gaza, as well as negotiations over the nuclear deal with Iran.

In addition, The Washington Post believes that Trump dismissed National Security Advisor Michael Waltz because of his secret relationship with Netanyahu. Israeli Channel 13 political analyst Rafi David called Trump's push for military action against Iran "an attempt to manipulate the U.S.," while Trump himself "has been acting behind Israel's back."

Now, the Israeli army radio station confirms: "Trump has decided to cut ties with Netanyahu." Moreover, the visit of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Higgeston to Israel was canceled, citing "joining President Donald Trump's Middle East tour in mid-May."

However, Israeli sources claim that this is because "the U.S. reached a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with Hamas behind Israel's back."

Experts are now speculating whether the U.S. policy in the region is beginning to undergo a profound strategic transformation or if these events are just temporary disagreements. However, it is obvious that Netanyahu, for the first time in his history, lost initiative in the Gaza War and also lost the ability to directly influence key decisions made by the U.S. government, something he almost always managed to do during Joe Biden's presidency.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear whether Netanyahu will become a pawn of White House policies or if there will be a rupture between them. The U.S. adopting a radical but unlikely course of action means changing its role in the Middle East through more active development of different relations with countries in the region, including military-technical cooperation with Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

This is because the Trump administration has firmly believed that "Israel is attempting to make the U.S. a hostage to its policies," which limits America's independent capacity for action in the affairs of other countries in the region.

Therefore, the task for the U.S. is to "domesticate Israel, integrating it into the paradigm of American or common interests," as despite current differences and Trump's unconventional stance on regional issues, their strategic ties remain deeply entrenched, making a complete rupture unlikely.

It is very likely that Israel will be forced to make concessions or adapt to Trump's demands, whether it be on the Gaza issue, its relations with Gulf states, or even with Iran.

Another matter is that Netanyahu's government stability has been weakened, and it will try to maintain the threat level in Gaza and disrupt the U.S.-Hamas agreement.

Analyst Thomas Friedman urges consideration of such a factor, pointing out in an article in The New York Times, "Although I disagree with many of Trump's moves since taking office, the Middle East is an exception."

Friedman explained that Trump's visit to the region and meetings with leaders of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, without including Israel in the itinerary, indicates that the U.S. president has begun to recognize a crucial fact: "Netanyahu's government actions threaten major U.S. interests in the region; he is not our friend but someone trying to fool the U.S. president."

In this context, Reuters reported that "the U.S. no longer requires Saudi Arabia to normalize relations with Israel as a condition for progress in civilian nuclear energy cooperation negotiations."

But if Netanyahu invades Gaza again, "trying to force Palestinians into a narrow corner bounded by the Mediterranean Sea and the Egyptian border," everything may change. This will pose a challenge to Trump and confirm Friedman's prediction: "Netanyahu has created a new 'Vietnam' along the Mediterranean coast, and he is no longer an ally of the U.S."

At that time, as Haaretz of Israel believes, "Trump will take action in the Middle East without Israel's involvement." Let us wait and see what the outcome will be and whether these predictions will come true.

Original Source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7503381125675450899/

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