Trump Intensifies Pressure on Netanyahu Amidst Regional Deal Concerns
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Israeli newspaper Maariv has published a report detailing U.S. President Donald Trump‘s increasing impatience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s internal political calculations. The report suggests that the United States will not permit its regional agenda to be obstructed and may soon deem Israel accountable for delays in scheduled Middle East agreements.
Recent clashes in southern Lebanon, which resulted in injuries to Israeli soldiers and the deaths of Lebanese civilians, highlighted a clear divergence in perspectives between Beirut and Tel Aviv. While Israel insists on maintaining its military presence in southern Lebanon, Washington believes this stance impedes the framework agreement. The U.S. administration is advocating for a phased Israeli withdrawal, warning that a permanent Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon conflicts with the commitments outlined in the agreement.
Trump’s ambitions extend beyond Lebanon, encompassing a broad list of objectives. These include advancing the peace plan for Gaza, concluding a security agreement with Syria—where Washington is investing in the Golan Heights regime despite strong Israeli criticism—breaking the deadlock in the Iran crisis, and achieving a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The White House acknowledges that Israel’s elections, less than two and a half months away, pose an existential threat to these objectives. The memory of Israel’s political crisis in 2019, which led to three consecutive elections and a year of lost diplomatic opportunities, remains vivid within Trump’s team. This time, they are determined to prevent Israeli domestic policies from once again disrupting their plans.
Despite described as warm personal relations, American officials have quoted Trump as saying in private conversations that Netanyahu is ‘his own worst enemy.’ Observers note that Trump has so far refrained from the public endorsement that Netanyahu hoped for during his campaign. This tactic is being held by Trump as leverage, preventing a repeat of the 2019 scenario where he recognized Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights just days before an election.
Reports indicate that American tolerance for Israeli election rhetoric is diminishing. Settler violence in the West Bank village of Qasra and Israeli statements against the Golan Heights regime have generated dissatisfaction even among U.S. officials close to Israel, such as Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Test areas in southern Lebanon are expected to be the first practical test of this tension. If Israel refuses to withdraw to commence this phase, Washington might publicly question whether Tel Aviv is prepared to fulfill its role in the agreement.
In a related development, Jared Kushner, Nikolay Mladenov, and Tony Blair are set to arrive in the region this week to advance the Gaza peace process, a mission that will directly put Netanyahu’s commitments to American demands to the test.
