Trump's Middle East trip leaves Netanyahu outside again
Trump's Middle East trip leaves Netanyahu outside again
The first station was Riyad. Just a few months after taking office, the President of the United States met with the King of Saudi Arabia in order to promote relationships with the Arab world. From there it went on to another capital in the region, where the leader of the free world gave a speech about a new vision for the Middle East. A station in Israel was missing conspicuously. It was the year 2009, and The president was barack obama . His decision, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had just come back into office, was not seen as an affront. This marked the beginning of what many still see as Obama's broken relationship with Israel, especially with the long -term incumbent prime minister.
Trump's upcoming visit to the Middle East
While President Donald Trump prepares for his first visit to the region during his second term, the same elephant size is in the same corner of the Oval Office. Trump's travel plan includes Saudi Arabia-where he arrives on Tuesday morning-Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The White House described this as the "historical return to the Middle East" and promised a "common goal for stability, opportunities and mutual respect". Israel is again not on the agenda. After several surprising announcements, including talks with Iran, an agreement with the Houthi rebels in Yemen and direct discussions with Hamas, Israeli civil servants are concerned that another surprise could be imminent.
Israel's concern about Trump's trip
Israeli officials tried to ask for a stopover in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, confirmed a source familiar with the matter. But the President dampened hope last week when he stated that he did not intend to visit Israel. "We will do that at some point," said Trump. "But not for this trip." Trump could be convinced to take a visit to his travel schedule if he could show any victory, be it a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza strip, a humanitarian auxiliary plan or the like. However, since Israel is willing to expand his war in the Gaza strip, there are currently no such results. Even with the upcoming Freilung of Geisel Edan Alexander On Monday, the prospects also appear on a comprehensive armchair to be away.
netanyahus dilemmatic position
"He doesn't come to Israel without results," said the source. Netanyahu was proud to be the first world leader to visit Trump in his second term in February. During his second visit in April, he became the first leader to start negotiations on a new trade agreement after Trump announced comprehensive tariffs on imports. But the Prime Minister left the White House without a trade agreement and with a new concern: Trump's surprising announcement that the United States would begin, via a new nuclear agreement with Iran to negotiate. Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, noticed that Netanyahu currently has little pressure in Washington: "There is nothing that Netanyahu has that Trump wants, needs or can give him, in contrast to the Saudis, Qataris or Emiratis."
a policy of surprises
In the weeks before Trump's trip, Israeli civil servants expressed increasing concerns what this could bring with them. In his negotiations with Iran, Trump pursues his nuclear program approaches that do not rule out the possibility of an Iranian civilian nuclear program; He agreed to a ceasefire with the Houthis that does not stop the attacks of the Yemeni group on Israel; And according to a report by Reuters, he no longer demands that Saudi Arabia normalize relationships with Israel to enable a Saudi civilian nuclear program. On Sunday, the Trump administration by Israel and concluded an agreement with Hamas to relieve Edan Alexander, the last known American hostage in Gaza. Trump described this as a step “to end this brutal war and to return all living hostages and relatives to their loved ones.”
Israel's officials are now concerned about what a week full of meetings and festivities with the golf states, which have criticized all Israeli military attack on Gaza and the ongoing humanitarian blockade, will mean Trump's attitude towards war and negotiations on an armistice. The Trump administration is currently strongly pushing on Egypt and Qatar to convince Hamas to agree with the release of some hostages, in exchange for several weeks of ceasefire and humanitarian aid. The goal of the Trump administration seems to be even higher; A familiar source announced CNN that Alexander's release would lead to "immediate negotiations on a peace treaty". A comprehensive agreement to terminate the war remains unreachable, but Trump has made it clear that this is his goal.
The pressure on Netanyahu increases
The situation between Trump and Netanyahu seems more complicated than ever. This happens shortly after Netanyahu doubled the strategic warfare and made it clear that he considered the defeat of Hamas to be more important than the return of the hostages. If an agreement with Hamas appears within the range to return other hostages, the US government will increase the pressure on Israel to accept it, expressed a source familiar with the matter. So far there have been considerable doubts as to whether the Hamas leader in Gaza, Mohammad Sinwar, would agree to a limited deal.
Trump's impetuous procedure
"There must be a practice of surprises on both sides," said Dan Shapiro, a former US ambassador to Israel and Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Think Tank in Washington, DC. "Otherwise, the necessary trust for this partnership breaks down really quickly." Shapiro added that Trump is progressing "like a bulldozer" and is currently planning progress in a ceasefire agreement and the release of hostages. Netanyah's tendency to be hesitant with important decisions, as well as to prioritize its history to prioritize its political survival ability, have apparently led to the willingness of the White House to refrain from consulting with Israel about important decisions. "He is clearly frustrated by Netanyahu, like any other president who worked with Netanyahu," remarked Shapiro.
In the meantime, Trump's husband in Jerusalem, US ambassador Mike Huckabee, is trying to play speculation about a break between the two leaders and expressed that he "fully expected" that Trump will visit Israel this year. "No president has ever taken care of the state of Israel as President Trump," said Huckabee in an interview that was broadcast on Saturday evening in Israeli channel 13. "And I think his relationship with the Prime Minister is remarkable." But many Israelis see it differently.
The front page of the renowned newspaper Yedioth Ahronot showed a caricature from Trump last Thursday with the heading "A policy of surprises". While Trump prepares a soup, Netanyahu sits nervously in the background. Even the vehemently Pro-Trump newspaper Israel Hayom has highlighted the obvious drifting with Netanyahu. The columnist Shai Golden wrote in : "The old saying" Be careful with what you want, because you could get it "captures the trap perfectly into which Netanyahu got into Trump."