Link to article: Bypassed by Trump, Israel dismayed but silent
This article is centered upon a recent advancement (or regression) in Israeli-US relations, a significant shift marked by Trump’s foreign policy agenda this second term. The most recent development of these souring relations is Israel’s open dislike for Trump’s Gulf Tour: a four-day diplomatic trip to various Gulf countries, namely Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and Syria. The article mentions that Israel has warned and shown discontent with associating and looking for lucrative deals with supposed Hamas-supporters, or even what were once previous allies of Al Qaeda (Syrian interim-President Al Sharaa.) The president came out of that trip with various new investment pledges, foreign policy shifts, and overall a foreseeable future with closer relations with these Middle Eastern states. Israel has not taken too well to this publicly (or privately), and neither have they been too fond of the United States initial involvement in working towards a Nuclear Deal with Iran, which involved ending the ground assault campaign of the Houthi rebels. From meeting Syrian interim President and lifting sanctions there, to even his withdrawal from the Israeli-Hamas conflict at the beginning of his presidency, Jerusalem has not taken well to these sudden fluctuations with this new administration that signal newer American interests as opposed to the status-quo relationship with Israel and the rest of the Middle East. From a national interest side, this all makes sense. Netanyahu has found allies within the far-right of Israeli government, and all of these American foreign policy advancements go against Israeli interests, showing that the US is truly drifting from (but not leaving) previous allies to secure transactional deals wherever for self-sufficiency, as per Trump’s innovative America First agenda. Trump’s first term was wildly different, in which he helped establish Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and moved our embassy there in 2018. And while we are still giving them aid, the recent neutralizing of Syria, Saudi Arabia, and Iran while trying to get a deal with them, shows a huge middle eastern policy shift that is centred on economic ties as opposed to intervention or entanglements in conflict. In regards to our backing of Israel, this also comes at a very ideal time since Hamas has been severely weakened since October 7th (although not decimated as per Israeli interests) and even more so for Hezbollah. For Netanyahu, however, he is in a lot of quandaries. From trials for crimes against humanity accusations and him being battered between a far-right nationalist coalition in Israeli government that encourages continued conflict which goes against an exhausted public, this conflict will have to be managed from within the region and not from the spoils of previous American support and policy. Whether that means the oil-rich Saudi Arabia stepping up their military and diplomatic capabilities, or Israeli forces somehow finally defeats Hamas, I think America’s decreased or less direct presence in the Middle East in regards to conflict allows for regional powers, like Riyadh, or even Turkey to step up.