President Donald Trump's relationship with Israel appears to be at a turning point, with reports that he is "disappointed" with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump is said to be angry with Netanyahu after he pushed the White House to dismantle Iran's nuclear program with military action, according to Hebrew language outlet Israel Hayom.
The outlet noted that Trump has decided to pursue America's objectives in the Middle East without "waiting" for input from Israel.
Trump's change in attitude has been made clear by his recent moves in the Middle East, which have taken Israel by surprise.
This week, Trump announced a cease-fire between the U.S. and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels who have been harassing ships in the Red Sea. Trump agreed to stop bombing the Houthis if they cease targeting U.S. interests in the region, but the Houthis have not made a commitment to stop attacking Israel. In response to the deal, Netanyahu said that Israel would "defend ourselves alone."
The Houthi cease-fire comes after Trump announced "direct" talks between the U.S. and Iran over a nuclear agreement. Trump broke the news while seated next to Netanyahu in the Oval Office.
According to Israel Hayom, Trump is angry about Netanyahu's perceived efforts to push Mike Waltz, the president's former national security adviser, to take military action against Iran. Waltz's interactions with Netanyahu also reportedly played a role in Trump's decision to oust Waltz from the national security team.
Trump has favored using diplomacy with Iran instead, although he has continued to threaten force if Iran is not cooperative about dismantling its nuclear facilities.
A couple of factors seem to be influencing the recent rift between Trump and Netanyahu.
On the one hand, Trump and his team clearly see a gap between Israel's demands and America's interests in the Middle East, but there is also a personal factor: Trump's approach to politics is pragmatic and transactional, and if he feels like he is being disrespected by someone, he's not going to do them any favors.
During his first term, Trump's foreign policy was highly favorable towards Israel, and Trump forged close ties with Netanyahu. But tensions became apparent after Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden on his dubious victory in the 2020 election.
Trump will visit the Persian Gulf next week for his first major foreign trip, stopping first in Saudi Arabia, where he marked his first international trip during his first term. Trump currently has no plans to stop in Israel.
In another sign of a growing rift, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly cancelled a trip to Israel that was planned for next week.
