Riyadh marked the first stop of President Donald Trump’s much-anticipated return to the Middle East in his second term – an itinerary that notably excludes Israel.
The visit, billed by the White House as a “historic return to the Middle East,” includes stops in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The administration has positioned the trip as part of a broader strategy to advance “a shared vision of stability, opportunity, and mutual respect” with Arab partners.
However, the absence of Israel from the president’s travel schedule has raised concerns in Jerusalem and evoked comparisons to President Barack Obama’s first major overseas trip to the region in 2009. At that time, Obama visited Saudi Arabia and delivered a widely discussed speech in Cairo outlining a new approach to the Muslim world, but bypassed Israel. That decision was perceived by many in Israel as a diplomatic slight and set the tone for what would become a strained relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Now, more than a decade later, a similar dynamic appears to be unfolding under Trump – despite the longstanding rapport between the two leaders.
Israeli officials reportedly inquired about the possibility of adding a stop in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv to Trump’s itinerary, but those hopes were dashed when Trump made it clear he had no such plans. “We will be doing it at some point,” he told reporters last week. “But not for this trip.”
Sources familiar with the discussions suggest Trump may have been open to visiting Israel if there had been a clear diplomatic achievement to announce – such as a Gaza ceasefire, a new humanitarian aid plan, or the release of hostages. However, with Israel preparing to intensify its military operations in Gaza and no breakthrough in sight, no such “deliverables” were available. “Without results, he’s not coming,” a source familiar with the matter said.
Netanyahu had earlier touted his close ties with Trump, being the first foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump’s second term in February. He returned again in April to initiate discussions on a potential new trade deal following Trump’s decision to impose sweeping tariffs. That visit yielded no agreement, and instead left Israeli officials blindsided by Trump’s surprise announcement of renewed talks with Iran.
Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas noted that Netanyahu’s influence in Washington appears diminished. “There’s nothing that Netanyahu has that Trump wants, needs, or that he can give him—as opposed to, say, the Saudis, the Qataris, or the Emiratis,” Pinkas told CNN. These Gulf nations are reportedly preparing announcements of major arms deals and investment packages that Trump can present as victories for U.S. jobs and manufacturing.
Despite years of vocal support for Trump, Netanyahu is now seen as having little leverage. While he previously relied on U.S. Republicans to influence Democratic administrations, his strategy is less effective under a friendly Republican White House that appears more focused on transactional diplomacy with Arab powers.
Trump’s Unpredictable Diplomacy Raises Israeli Concerns Ahead of Gulf Visit
As President Donald Trump prepares to begin a high-profile tour of the Middle East, concerns are mounting in Israel over what new diplomatic surprises may emerge from the trip.
In the weeks leading up to the visit, the Trump administration has taken a series of steps that have reportedly caught Israeli officials off guard. Chief among them is Trump’s revived push for nuclear negotiations with Iran – talks that, according to sources, may allow Tehran to retain elements of its civilian nuclear program. Israeli leaders, long wary of Iran’s intentions, see the move as a significant concession.
Another major point of concern is the ceasefire agreement brokered between the U.S. and Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The deal, while aimed at reducing regional tensions, does not explicitly stop the Houthis from launching attacks on Israel – an omission that has raised red flags in Jerusalem.
Additionally, a report revealed that the U.S. is no longer insisting on Saudi normalization with Israel as a precondition for supporting a Saudi civil nuclear program. The apparent policy shift has deepened Israeli fears that normalization efforts with Gulf states may be losing momentum under Trump’s current strategy.
Perhaps the most unexpected development came Sunday, when the Trump administration bypassed Israel to negotiate directly with Hamas for the release of Edan Alexander—the last known living American hostage held in Gaza. Trump described the release as a humanitarian breakthrough and suggested it could be the first step toward a broader resolution. “Hopefully this is the first of those final steps necessary to end this brutal conflict,” he wrote on social media.
Israeli officials are now struggling with what Trump’s time in the Gulf – where he will meet leaders who have been openly critical of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza – may signal for U.S. policy on ceasefire negotiations and humanitarian aid.
According to sources familiar with the discussions, the U.S. has intensified pressure on Egypt and Qatar in recent weeks, urging them to push Hamas toward a hostage release deal that could unlock a temporary ceasefire and pave the way for sustained humanitarian relief into Gaza. With Alexander’s release now secured, a second source indicated that the Trump administration is eyeing the moment to launch “immediate peace deal negotiations.”
Trump has made clear that ending the war is a top priority. But that stance increasingly places Washington at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has publicly reaffirmed his commitment to defeating Hamas – insisting that dismantling the group takes precedence over any near-term hostage agreements.
U.S. officials now believe that if a broader deal with Hamas appears achievable, pressure on Israel to accept it will intensify, especially during Trump’s high-stakes visit to the Gulf. Some in Israel fear that Hamas, and its leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, may have managed to outmaneuver Israeli diplomacy this time by engaging directly with Washington.
Tensions Surface as Trump Pushes Agenda With Little Consultation
Further, as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies his diplomatic push for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, tensions with Israel appear to be mounting, fueled by an apparent breakdown in communication and trust between the two long-time allies.
“There has to be a practice of no surprises on either side,” said Dan Shapiro, former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. “Otherwise, the trust that is so essential for this partnership breaks down really, really quickly.”
According to Shapiro, Trump is moving “like a bulldozer” in pursuit of his goals in the region, which currently center on brokering a ceasefire and securing further hostage releases. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cautious approach to decision-making, coupled with what many see as a tendency to prioritize domestic political calculations, has reportedly tested the White House’s patience.
“He’s clearly frustrated with Netanyahu, as every other president who’s worked with Netanyahu has been,” Shapiro told.
Amid these strains, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has attempted to downplay any signs of a rift. Huckabee expressed confidence that Trump would visit Israel later in the year and emphasized the president’s long-standing support.
“No president has ever cared as much and done as much as President Trump has for the state of Israel,” Huckabee said. “And his relationship with the prime minister is, I think, remarkable.”
However, public perception in Israel paints a different picture. The popular daily Yedioth Ahronoth featured a front-page cartoon last Thursday depicting Trump preparing a soup labeled “a policy of surprises,” while Netanyahu watches uneasily in the background.
Even Israel HaYom, a newspaper known for its strong support of Trump, has acknowledged signs of discord. In a weekend opinion piece, columnist Shai Golden wrote: “The old saying ‘Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it’ perfectly captures the trap Netanyahu has fallen into with Trump.”
The Last Bit
What once seemed like an unshakable alliance between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu is beginning to show visible fault lines. The absence of Israel from Trump’s high-stakes Middle East tour and the series of policy moves made without prior consultation point to a growing divergence in priorities.
Trump’s bulldozer diplomacy, which now favors transactional gains with Gulf Arab states, hostages-for-ceasefire breakthroughs, and nuclear bargaining with Iran, appears to be leaving Israel – and its embattled prime minister – in the diplomatic shadows.
Netanyahu, once considered a fixture in Trump’s inner foreign policy circle, now seems relegated to the periphery of the conversation. The Israeli PM’s cautious, survival-driven politics are clashing with Trump’s hunger for quick wins and global optics. While official statements and loyal envoys attempt to preserve the illusion of harmony, Israeli media, diplomats, and even allies quietly acknowledge a shift: Jerusalem may no longer be the first call, or even the second, when Washington acts in the region.
If this trajectory continues, Netanyahu could find himself not only out of sync with a president he once claimed as a steadfast partner, but increasingly isolated on the world stage. The realpolitik of Trump’s second term suggests that loyalty without leverage may no longer be enough to guarantee Israel a seat at the table or even a stop on the itinerary.
