Trump Reshapes the Middle East with Israel's Foes

Miami Herald

15-05-2025

President Donald Trump is reshaping the Middle East by drawing closer to Israel's long-term adversaries, prompting critics to suggest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—a key ally—has been sidelined.
Trump has struck a truce with the Yemeni Houthis, brokered a hostage deal with Hamas, courted Qatar, lifted sanctions on Syria, praised Turkey's leader, and opened nuclear talks with Iran—all without Israel at the table.
Newsweek contacted the Israeli prime minister's office and the U.S. State Department for comment.
Trump's recent moves signal the potential for rifts with Netanyahu—a key ally and among his most vocal supporters and raise questions over the extent of the U.S. support that has been invaluable to Israel for decades.
Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House in his second term, has been excluded from high-profile meetings as Trump set out for a Middle East tour skipping Israel.
The U.S. secured the release of its last remaining hostage in Gaza through direct talks with Hamas—for the second time. When it first engaged, the White House labeled it a one-off move following speculation it had strained ties with Israel.
A week earlier, Trump had decided to halt airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen in return for their suspension of attacks on the U.S., a few days after their missile strike near Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion's airport. The agreement did not stop them attacking Israel.
President Trump has been pushing for a new deal with Tehran to curb Iran's nuclear program and has made clear he prefers diplomacy to the military action that Israel has often touted. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has, meanwhile, accused Israel and allied interest groups for attempting to sabotage negotiations.
Trump said Iran had "sort of" made a deal with the U.S. on its nuclear program, one that he hoped would secure "long-term peace".
Trump called Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan—a frequent critic of Israel's policies— as "very smart" at a meeting with Netanyahu in April, Axios reported.
This week in Riyadh, Trump met and praised Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist, announcing a lift of sanctions on the country which Israel still sees as a threatening neighbor even if it less a conduit for Iranian influence than under former President Bashar al-Assad.
The U.S. president has secured $1.2 trillion economic commitment in Qatar, according to the White House, while his administration has been actively engaged with the Qatari government in negotiations between Hamas and Israel.
Tensions between Israel and Qatar have flared over the latter's ties to Hamas and the "Qatargate" accusations that some Netanyahu advisors were on the Gulf state's payroll to push its influence.
But there is no sign Trump has abandoned Israel. While he skipped Israel on his tour of the Middle East, his rhetoric remains closely aligned with Israeli foreign policy—especially on Iran—reiterating that it must abandon ambitions for developing a nuclear weapon and calling it "destabilizing".
He also revived the possibility of an offensive on the Houthis while in Qatar, according to Al-Arabiya News. The group has continued to carry out attacks on Israel and targeted the Ben Gurion airport.
Direct talks with Hamas haven't led to a unilateral U.S. decision pressuring Israel over Gaza, including its blockade on humanitarian aid. While Trump has voiced sympathy for civilians and a desire to end the conflict, Washington still blames Hamas for the war that started when it attacked Israel in October 2023.
Hamas seeks the immediate entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and a permanent ceasefire and has criticized the failure to deliver on those expectations, warning in a Thursday statement it could "stall future talks." But Israel still seeks to destroy Hamas as well as secure the release of remaining hostages held by the group.
Trump and his administration have also been pushing for more Arab countries to sign the Abraham Accords normalizing ties with Israel.
In March, Netanyahu said: "During my recent visit to Washington, I said that Donald Trump is the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House. And President Trump shows that friendship each and every day."
White House National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt previously told Newsweek:"Israel has had no better friend in its history than President Trump. We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to ensure remaining hostages in Gaza are freed, Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, and to strengthen regional security in the Middle East."
Israel's Opposition head Yair Lapid on X, as quoted by Kan News, translated from Hebrew: "We should have sat at the head of the table in Riyadh and we didn't do it. This is a loss for generations."
Tommy Pigott, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson in Tuesday press briefing: "Hamas bears sole responsibility for this war."
H.A. Hellyer, senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defense and Security Studies, told Newsweek: "Israel's lack of normalization in the region has little to do with Trump or Biden or any other American president, per se, and everything to do with Israeli policies. Israel expanded and the occupation in the Palestinian territories and currently occupies Syrian and Lebanese territories as well. These will remain core obstacles against any kind of bettering relations, irrespective of American policies."
Much will hinge on how Trump's tour unfolds and the diplomatic signals that follow, with Iran's nuclear talks and the Gaza crisis topping the list of urgent challenges, as well as Israel's next moves regarding a ceasefire.
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