A wave of shock has swept through Israel’s political leadership, strategic, intellectual, and military elites following a series of dramatic and rapid moves made by the American president in the Middle East—without consulting Netanyahu or his representatives before the U.S. administration. In some instances, no Israeli official was even informed, and learned of the developments through the media. The most notable of these issues include:
    1.    The U.S. administration’s move toward indirect negotiations with Iran to reach a diplomatic solution to its nuclear program—contrary to the wishes of Netanyahu and his coalition partners, who favor military escalation.
    2.    Reaching an agreement with Ansar Allah (the Houthis) to end reciprocal attacks in the Red Sea and Yemeni territory—excluding Israeli participation and without requiring the Houthis to halt their strikes against Israel.
    3.    The U.S. administration’s inclination to withdraw American forces from Syria and avoid escalation with Turkey due to its growing influence in the region—again, contrary to Netanyahu’s and his government’s preferences.
    4.    The U.S. move toward signing a broad package of bilateral agreements and understandings with Saudi Arabia, including American assistance for a peaceful nuclear program, the supply of advanced weaponry, and a retreat from the condition of full normalization with Israel as a prerequisite for the deal.

Decision-making circles in Israel are particularly anxious about Trump’s next steps—especially regarding the Gaza Strip and the genocide that has continued for over a year and a half. There is concern that Trump may impose a comprehensive plan to end the war in Gaza, ensure reconstruction, and establish a mutually acceptable prisoner exchange, without fulfilling Netanyahu’s and his government’s ambitions to destroy the Strip completely, implement forced displacement, or compel the resistance to surrender.

This is the first time the U.S. administration has moved quickly and successively, bypassing Israel in strategic matters directly linked to Israeli security. The key shift driving these changes appears to be the current administration’s and President Trump’s strict adherence to the motto “America First,” prioritizing American interests, particularly in economic and strategic dimensions.

Although the United States is not currently abandoning Israel, Israeli decision-making circles are increasingly worried about the onset of a global shift—especially in Europe and the United States—that now views Israel as a liability to Western strategic interests, largely due to its conduct in Gaza and its reckless behavior in the Middle East.