Trump's Middle East trip handed Israel a historic opportunity — if it chooses to act, experts say

Fox News

17-05-2025

TEL AVIV – As President Donald Trump wrapped up his high-stakes Middle East tour on Friday, many media outlets portrayed his decision to bypass Israel as evidence of a rift with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, while Air Force One did not land in Israel, experts say Trump's visit advanced policies that align closely with Israeli interests and presented a strategic opportunity that Jerusalem has yet to seize.
Avner Golov, vice president at MIND Israel and a former senior director of Israel's National Security Council, told Fox News Digital, "Israel sees a massive wave approaching to sweep across the Middle East — a wave of momentum and change. The decision it faces is whether to ride it or be crushed beneath it."
Throughout the visit, Trump emphasized points that directly reflect Israeli priorities. On Tuesday, he condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, called for Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords and warned Iran over its nuclear ambitions. On Wednesday, he even extended the normalization initiative to Syria.
When asked aboard Air Force One about skipping Israel, Trump said, "This is good for Israel. Having a relationship like I have with these countries... I think it's very good."
In Doha on Thursday, Trump went further, stating: "I want to see [Gaza] be a freedom zone. And if it's necessary, I think I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone."
According to two Arab officials quoted by The Times of Israel, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff told mediators in Doha that Washington does not intend to pressure Israel into ending the war in Gaza — aligning with Prime Minister Netanyahu's firm stance.
On Friday, President Trump was asked in an interview with Fox News Chief political anchor, Bret Baier on Special Report, if he was frustrated with Netanyahu. Trump responded, "No, look, he's got a tough situation. You have to remember there was an October 7th that everyone forgets, it was one of the most violent days in the history of the world. Not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes. And the tapes are there for everyone to see."
A readout released on Thursday by the State Department of a call between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Prime Minister Netanyahu, also showed continued support for the Jewish state.
"The Secretary stressed the deep U.S. commitment to its historic relationship with Israel and the ironclad U.S. support for Israeli security," adding "The Secretary and Prime Minister discussed Syria following President Trump's historic meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. The Secretary and Prime Minister also shared their mutual commitment to make sure Iran never possesses a nuclear weapon."
Channel 12 chief political correspondent Amit Segal told Fox News Digital, "There is an uncomfortable experience from an Israeli perspective to see Air Force One flying over us on its way to countries, some of which are outright hostile and others semi-hostile. If you are not at the table, you are on the plate."
"But this isn't personal. It's not about Netanyahu and Trump," Segal added. "Trump has full support for Israel — but when American interests come first, he acts accordingly. It's America First."
Dan Senor, host of the podcast "Call Me Back" and a former state department official, agreed that despite headlines suggesting tension, policy tells a different story.
"There's always noise in the press," Senor told Dana Perino, co-anchor of Fox News Channel's "America's Newsroom." "But policy right now is very strong. We're seeing maximum pressure on Iran, no public criticism of Israel — even as dozens of Israeli tanks are positioned near Gaza."
"What I found problematic in past administrations — especially under Obama — was when private criticism became public," Senor added. "That gave others a green light to pile on Israel. This administration, even if it disagrees, isn't airing it. And that matters most."
On Friday, in a proclamation marking Jewish Heritage Month, Trump stated, "I believe there has never been a greater friend to the Jewish people than my Administration. We will never deviate from our conviction that anti-Semitism has no place in the greatest country in the world. As the 47th President of the United States, I will use every appropriate legal tool at my disposal to stop anti-Semitic assaults gripping our universities. We will proudly stand with our friend and ally, the State of Israel. I will never waver in my commitment."
Tamir Haiman, former head of Israel's Military Intelligence and now director of the Institute for National Security Studies, said the Israeli government feared being caught off guard.
"This is a player so strong that sometimes, without intending to, he can throw a small player off the field — like a giant who's spinning and accidentally knocks someone out of his way with his shoulder," Haiman told Fox News Digital.
However, he emphasized that the developments in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Syria are not inherently bad for Israel — unless the government fails to act.
"The missed opportunity here is enormous," he said. "There were two major levers Israel had — Israeli consent to U.S. arms deals with Saudi Arabia and American consent to lifting sanctions on Syria. Both could have been used to advance key Israeli interests: normalization with Saudi Arabia and ensuring Syria's development follows a non-jihadist path. And we [Israel] lost both."
The sense of urgency grew last week when Trump abruptly paused U.S. airstrikes on Iranian-backed Houthis just days after a missile landed near Ben Gurion Airport. Reports soon followed that Washington had dropped its demand for Israeli-Saudi normalization as a prerequisite for a U.S.–Saudi nuclear pact — a strategic goal long championed by Netanyahu.
Reuters later confirmed the shift. Meanwhile, Saudi officials made clear that progress on the Palestinian issue remains a prerequisite for any nuclear deal — something seen as unlikely while the war in Gaza continues.
"After the Saudi story, where we were thrown under the bus, I said we need to stop and investigate," Haiman said. "We shouldn't just say it's the president's whims. We need to ask, 'What depends on us? What needs to change?' I'm not sure they're doing that."
The sharpest potential rift remains Iran. Jerusalem views a nuclear-armed Tehran as an existential threat. Haiman calls this "a historic window" to stop it, by force if needed. "The American interest is to finish wars, not enter them, and to seal a deal better than Obama's," he said, warning that a diplomatic track pursued over Israel's head could soon limit Israeli military options.
Monday's release of 21-year-old American-Israeli Edan Alexander, freed after direct talks between Washington, Qatar and Hamas, added to some fears of Jerusalem being sidelined. Israel played only a logistical role.
Within Israel, the Gaza war continues to divide strategists over whether to keep pressing Hamas or stop the war for a hostage deal. Haiman called the current "fight, deal, fight" rhythm "boiling the frog," but acknowledges that without a hostage deal now, the 21 living hostages might not survive.
Golov believes it is time for Israel to stop reacting and start shaping events. He urged Jerusalem to push Washington to demand that "Qatar must stop funding Hamas, stop Al Jazeera's incitement, and pay a price for interfering inside Israel." Israel, he argued, does not have the leverage to do that alone.
"It must anchor itself in a regional bloc — with the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan — states that are just as terrified of a Muslim Brotherhood resurgence." To get there, he said, Israel must climb aboard the wave Trump has already set in motion.