Alwaght- Despite the old alliance of Washington and Tel Aviv, the conflict of interests between the US President Donald Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is emerging on sensitive regional cases, where Trump's utilitarian nature openly clashes with Netanyahu's exploitative approach.
Since his entry to the White House and politics, Trump has shown that he is an unpredictable man and a player off the diplomatic routines. Just contrary to his predecessors who see Israeli a red line, he does not want to be a yes man of Israel, especially if Israeli demands are in conflict with immediate US interests.
Based on this approach, Trump has shown on several occasions that he is not willing to enter into conflicts that he sees as costly and useless for the US simply because of the traditional alliance with the Israeli regime. This has caused Netanyahu, who was accustomed to special relations with previous US administrations, to now face an unprecedented challenge. This challenge has now manifested itself in numerous cases, and it seems that Netanyahu can no longer count on the full support of the Trump administration.
The conflict of interests between Trump and Netanyahu reflects Trump’s controversial personality and his view of the “America First” policy, which play a key role in this dispute. Unlike in the past, when Trump called Netanyahu “a good and loyal friend of the United States,” these days there are clear signs of Trump’s dissatisfaction with Netanyahu.
Sources close to the White House have reported that Trump is deeply upset with Netanyahu's unilateral policies, especially regarding the war on Yemen and Gaza, and accuses him of politically exploiting the relationship with the US. This dissatisfaction was clearly evident in the recent meeting between the two sides at the White House, where Trump gave him a cold shoulder and the official meeting was held only on a symbolic level, or, according to the Israelis, Netanyahu did not go to Washington but was summoned.
Trump, a man of utilitarian approach to the foreign policy, now does not want to involve in new regional conflicts under Netanyahu's pressure. It seems, many agree, the time of unconditional privileges to Tel Aviv under Trump is gone.
Trump and Netanyahu's parallel view of the Yemen case
The starting point of separation of Trump and Netanyahu on West Asia cases is marked by Trump's recent decision to stop military action on Yemen's Ansarullah resistance movement. This decision not only was taken without consultation with Israel, but also it was announced exactly on the same day Israeli military bombed Sana'a international airport. Tel Aviv was taken aback by the American move.
In his remarks after announcing the cessation of hostilities, Trump stated bluntly that the US does not need permission from the Israelis. If an American citizen is harmed, it will respond, "otherwise it’s none of our business," he said. These statements, which were also confirmed by the US ambassador in Tel Aviv, were a clear message to the Netanyahu government that Washington is not willing to pay the costs of regional conflicts on Tel Aviv’s behalf.
In fact, Trump believes that the Yemen war is a geopolitical quagmire from which Washington should distance itself. In contrast, Netanyahu wants to continue military pressure on Ansarallah, because he considers it part of the Iranian-backed Axis of Resistance
The new US administration has taken an approach based on resolving the issues of West Asia region on a separate base and pursuing tangible goals, while the Israeli regime insists that all these cases are interconnected and emphasizes the need for US military intervention in the region, not Washington’s diplomatic solutions.
Conflict of interests on Gaza
Under home pressure to cut the US military involvement in West Asia and focus on internal challenges, Trump is seeking a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with the help of mediators like Qatar and Oman. According to Israeli sources, the White House had even pressured Netanyahu to agree with Hamas before Trump's visit to the region.
Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that Trump intends to skip Israel during forthcoming visit to the region, a symbolic move that reflects his strong discontentment with Netanyahu. Trump also warned Israeli officials that if they do not move towards a ceasefire, they may be left alone in the face of regional threats.
While Netanyahu calls for a continued military confrontation with Hamas and continued pressure on the movement, Trump prefers to pursue diplomatic solutions, believing that these measures can restore US's international image and reduce financial and human costs. In this connection, the Jerusalem Post claimed that Trump is expected to recognize the state of Palestine during a meeting with Persian Gulf Arab monarchies in Riyadh.
On the other hand, an Egyptian source also announced that American negotiators, during their recent talks with Egyptian mediators, announced that Trump administration officials have shown flexibility on the issue of Hamas disarmament and have postponed the consideration of this issue until after the ceasefire agreement. The source added that American officials admitted that expelling thousands of Palestinian fighters from Gaza is not feasible. Washington no longer demands the immediate disarmament of the Palestinian resistance factions, especially Hamas, and only demands the release of all Israeli prisoners and bodies of dead prisoners from Gaza.
Trump sensitivity to personal pride
Behind these different views, there is a more essential factor and it is Trump's character that is extremely sensitive to personal pride and hates a being abused by others. According to sources close to the White House, Trump believes that the Israeli PM is abusing him and this belief drove his decision to cut off direct contact channels with Netanyahu.
One sign of this decision was the dismissal of Mike Waltz, the US national security adviser, who had been in secret talks with Netanyahu about Iran. Trump saw this as a clear example of Tel Aviv’s covert influence in the US policy-making apparatus and reacted strongly.
Trump has also been reported to have told his orbit that, “nobody should think they can control me, not Netanyahu, not anyone else.” This view is rooted in a mindset in which Trump sees himself as a deal maker, a man willing to make deals, but not under pressure or threat.
The character of Trump, as a pragmatic, self-centered, and highly sensitive to independence of decision-making person, has caused him to act chilly and cautiously in the face of repeated Israeli demands for military action. Instead of engaging in a proxy war, Trump tries to manage regional crises using dealing and diplomacy to cut Washington's costs worldwide.
Finally, although Washington-Tel Aviv strategic relations will likely remain in place, the time of unilateral decisions and unconditional obedience of Washington from Tel Aviv, at least under Trump, is over.
