DayofPal-U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly cut direct contact with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, citing frustrations over perceived manipulation and unfulfilled commitments.
According to Israeli Army Radio and corroborating reports in Israel Hayom, the decision was relayed to Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer by Trump’s close associates during recent conversations with senior Republican figures.
The message was unequivocal: Trump believes Netanyahu is attempting to manipulate him, a move that has sharply eroded their longstanding political alliance.
“Trump hates being manipulated more than anything else,” sources familiar with the exchange told Dermer, emphasizing the former president’s growing disillusionment.
Efforts by Dermer to mend the rift were reportedly ineffective. One Israeli official described Dermer’s tone as marked by “usual arrogance,” which did little to shift opinions within Trump’s inner circle.
Israel Hayom, a publication with strong ties to Netanyahu’s Likud party, confirmed the strained relationship, quoting Trump allies who described the current state of the Netanyahu-Trump dynamic as being at its “lowest point yet.”
The sources accused Netanyahu of reneging on promises and obstructing progress on key elements of Trump’s regional strategy.
“Netanyahu is stalling. He’s not cooperating,” the sources told Israel Hayom. “He’s not executing what we agreed on.”
According to reports, Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Israel’s reluctance to advance specific elements of his broader Middle East vision, particularly those involving normalization agreements and regional diplomacy.
Netanyahu’s intransigence has reportedly led Trump to sideline the Israeli leader in the hope he will “return to the right track,” as one senior Israeli official put it.
The tension marks a stark departure from Trump’s prior approach. Since his return to the White House in January 2025, Trump had extended nearly unconditional support to Netanyahu, even as Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has drawn widespread international condemnation.
Despite this backing, Israeli officials are alarmed by signs that the U.S. may begin excluding Israel from key regional decisions. One example cited was a recent ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Yemen’s Houthi movement, brokered without prior notice to Tel Aviv.
Meanwhile, Dermer and other senior Israeli figures are reportedly urging Trump’s team to consider Israel’s domestic political sensitivities, particularly regarding language that might imply support for Palestinian statehood.
According to the Israel Hayom report, Dermer spent hours crafting language that merely “hints” at future Palestinian sovereignty, reflecting the delicate balancing act Israeli officials are trying to maintain.
Adding to Israeli concerns is Trump’s apparent willingness to move forward with strategic agreements, particularly with Saudi Arabia, without Israel’s consultation or involvement.
Two senior Trump allies were quoted privately saying the former president “will no longer wait for Israel and will push ahead with his regional plans.”
Although the specific steps Trump intends to take remain undisclosed, the shift in tone and approach has left many in Israel deeply uneasy. The absence of any planned visit to Israel by Trump, a notable change from his previous terms, underscores the gravity of the rupture.
With diplomatic ties fraying, Israeli officials are now left grappling with the prospect of a more unilateral U.S. policy in the Middle East, potentially redrawing the strategic contours of the region, with or without Netanyahu’s involvement.
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