© UnknownIsraeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu • US President Donald Trump
We have great difficulty understanding the deterioration of relations between the United States and Israel. To interpret it and grasp its intensity, we must first analyze the historical ties between the two nations, and then the evolution of President Donald Trump's policies during his two terms.
The United States and Israel
The mythical creation of the United States by the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620 is traditionally presented as the exodus of the "Puritans," dissidents from the Anglican Church. They supposedly fled the "Pharaoh" (King James I of England), drew up a "Covenant" during their crossing of the "Red Sea" (the Atlantic Ocean), and founded the colony of Plymouth. This is why Americans are considered a "Chosen People," just like the Jews.
This narrative has been championed by every US president, at least from Thomas Jefferson to Donald Trump, without exception [ 1 ] . It is celebrated every year during Thanksgiving (the 4th Thursday of November).
The United States' support for the State of Israel is therefore a given that has never been publicly discussed.
The true founder of contemporary Zionism was not a Jew, but a dispensationalist Christian: Reverend William E. Blackstone was an American preacher who believed that true Christians would not have to participate in the trials of the end times. He taught that they would be taken up to heaven during the final battle (the "rapture of the Church" ) . In his view, the Jews would fight this battle and emerge both converted to Christ and victorious . [ 2 ]
William Blackstone managed to convince Theodor Herzl to combine the concerns of the dispensationalists with those of the colonialists. This was achieved simply by proposing the creation of Israel in Palestine and by multiplying biblical references. Thanks to this rather simple idea, they succeeded in gaining the support of the majority of European Jews for their project. Today, Herzl is buried in Israel (on Mount Herzl), and the state placed in his coffin the annotated Bible that Blackstone had given him.
William Blackstone and Theodor Herzl artificially fabricated the idea that all Jews worldwide were descendants of the ancient Jews of Palestine. From then on, the word "Jew" came to refer not only to the Israelite religion but also to an ethnic group. Based on a literal interpretation of the Bible , they claimed to be the beneficiaries of a divine promise concerning the Palestinian land.
The decision to create a Jewish state in Palestine was made jointly by the British and American governments. It was negotiated by the first Jewish justice on the United States Supreme Court, Louis Brandeis, under the auspices of Reverend Blackstone, and was approved by both President Woodrow Wilson and Prime Minister David Lloyd George, following the Anglo-French Sykes-Picot Agreement for the partition of the Middle East. Their agreement was gradually made public.
President Woodrow Wilson included among his official war aims (No. 12 of the 14 points presented to Congress on January 8, 1918) the creation of the State of Israel; a decision that followed by two months the British "Balfour Declaration" [ 3 ] .
The chairman of the Jewish Agency, David Ben-Gurion, unilaterally proclaimed the State of Israel on May 14, 1948, the last day of the British Mandate for Palestine. It was recognized the following day, May 15, by the United States (and later by the Shah's Iran). The United Nations, which was preparing a partition plan for Palestine, was presented with a fait accompli. The United Kingdom, for its part, did not recognize Israel until eight months later.
In 1951, the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs was formed, which in 1963 became the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to avoid being registered as a foreign influence agent.
On July 22, 2002, Ambassador John Negroponte, then the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations, declared during a closed session of the Security Council that Washington would systematically veto any resolution that condemned Israel without condemning the Palestinians [ 4 ] . This doctrine remains in effect: the two protagonists cannot be held equally responsible, as their responsibilities differ since Israel is now a state, while Palestine is still not a recognized one. This tactic ensures that Israel will not be sanctioned by the United Nations, regardless of its behavior.
In 2006, Professors Stephen Walt (Harvard) and John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago) published The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy [ 5 ] . In it, they show that AIPAC, by becoming the main funder of legislative elections, has become the true master of Congress.
Donald Trump and Israel
Upon entering the White House on January 20, 2017, Donald Trump knew almost nothing about politics. He was a populist businessman who intended to "clean out the Augean stables" (that is, everything that was dirty and corrupt in Washington). He was neither a Democrat nor a Republican; he was a Jacksonian who had managed to seize control of the Republican Party.
He approaches the Middle East through the eyes of his National Security Advisor, General Michael Flynn. For Flynn, Israel is not a desirable partner, while Iran is dangerous. However, he must confront a "deep state" that forces him to part ways with Flynn after only three weeks. It is then that he discovers the personality of Benjamin Netanyahu, with whom he shares a common experience: both must contend with the workings of an all-powerful administration in their respective countries. The two men had already crossed paths when Netanyahu was ambassador to the United Nations, but they did not know each other.
In 2017, Donald Trump decided to provide military support to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in Yemen, in exchange for which he demanded that all Arab states cease supporting the terrorist organizations created by the CIA and MI6 [ 6 ] . Returning from Riyadh, he made a stopover in Israel where he declared: "We just got back from the Middle East" (sic).
In his mind, peace in the Middle East should be possible once no state dares to defend Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Acting as President Andrew Jackson's successor, he believes it's possible to resolve the problems by carving out a state for the Israelis, just as his predecessor had done for the Americans by confining Native Americans to reservations.
He therefore agreed to recognize West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel [ 7 ] — and possibly East Jerusalem as the capital of the future Palestinian state — and to recognize the annexation of the Syrian Golan Heights [ 8 ] and all parts of Palestine occupied by Israeli settlements. Furthermore, he expelled the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) embassy from Washington [ 9 ] .
Unfortunately, he discovers with dismay that, for the United Nations, Jerusalem is not Israeli territory, but international territory, and that he cannot do as he pleases there without provoking strong opposition. Strangely, the annexations of the Syrian Golan Heights and Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories are less difficult to implement.
On January 3, 2020, he had General Qassem Soleimani assassinated [ 10 ] — probably with the agreement of Iranian figures* whom he overshadowed — believing that he was cutting off Iranian military support to those who resisted Israel's expansion project, "from the Nile to the Euphrates" [ 11 ] .
He eventually had to acknowledge that he would achieve nothing in this way and launched a new approach: guaranteeing financial resources to the Palestinians through the Abraham Accords. This would be the task of his son-in-law, the Orthodox Jew Jared Kushner [ 12 ] . He succeeded in convincing the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Bahrain on September 15, 2020. They would later be joined by Sudan, Morocco, and Kazakhstan.
No matter how well-intentioned Donald Trump is, he cannot untangle this mess, the very long history of which he is discovering anew each day. The people of the Middle East are not like the Americans: they have a long history and are not for sale. They expect redress for their grievances above all else, even if it means foregoing any immediate economic benefits.
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu
When he returns to the White House on January 20, 2025, the situation in the Middle East is completely different. Benjamin Netanyahu is no longer the manipulative politician he once knew. He is now at the head of a coalition of "revisionist Zionists" and "Jewish supremacists" and no longer hides his dream of a "Jewish Empire," to use Vladimir Zeev Jabotinsky's expression [ 13 ] .
Hamas led Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023. Since then, the Biden administration has given its full support to Israel, but abuses by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have turned public opinion against Israel, even in the West.
Donald Trump, whose reelection was financed primarily by "revisionist Zionists" close to Netanyahu — such as casino owner Miriam Adelson [ 14 ] — continues to smile at his "friend" Netanyahu, but he hasn't gotten over the way Netanyahu abandoned him in 2021 and recognized Joe Biden's election. Even worse, Netanyahu hesitated to endorse Kamala Harris. His reason for not doing so was that she denounced his criminal actions in Gaza when he appeared before Congress in July 2025.
President Trump begins by dismantling everything Joe Biden has done without considering that he might have been right. He lifts the ban on supplying Israel with bombs weighing more than one ton [ 15 ] . He rescinds sanctions against violent settlers in the West Bank — ignoring Netanyahu's threat to the United States to resume the terrorism of the "Stern Gang" [ 16 ] . Finally, he imposes sanctions on judges of the International Criminal Tribunal (ICTY) [ 17 ] who dared to equate Israeli criminals — including Netanyahu — with Palestinian criminals. He supports Project Esther, which aims to suppress pro-Palestinian views in Democratic universities [ 18 ] . Finally, he withdraws the United States from UNESCO after it has accepted the State of Palestine.
Then he begins to think.
He made contact with Hamas, without informing his Israeli ally, and secured the release of the American hostage, Edan Alexander. The operation was carried out by Adam Boehler, a friend of Jared Kushner.
When Netanyahu came to tell him that he would annex Gaza on February 4, 2025, he retorted that, no, it was the United States that would transform the Palestinian strip into a riviera [ 19 ] .
On May 6, 2025, Washington signed a separate peace agreement with Ansar Allah (described as the Houthi family band, or "Houthis"), without informing its Israeli ally [ 20 ] .
Having learned that Israel was planning to use one of its nuclear weapons against Iran, ostensibly to prevent it from developing one, President Trump took the initiative to personally bomb Iran's civilian nuclear sites. This was Operation Midnight Hammer, on June 21, 2025 [ 21 ] . He proclaimed, without waiting for the CIA to analyze satellite images of the damage, that he had destroyed all Iranian facilities.
He soon announced a third method, following the failures of abandoning terrorism (2017) and the Abraham Accords (2020): on February 19, 2026, he established a Peace Council tasked with concluding agreements where the United Nations had failed [ 22 ] . The aim was to forge alliances with independent figures who would bypass entrenched administrations. This council presented a process whose first stage was a resounding victory, but which failed to launch the second. Israel, which had accepted this plan and joined the Council, opposed it with all its might.
On May 7, 2026, Israeli military radio announced that Trump had decided to no longer have direct contact with Netanyahu because he thought he was manipulating him [ 23 ] .
On May 8, Ron Dermer, Netanyahu's trusted advisor and Minister of Strategic Affairs, ventured to the White House. He argued that Israel should attack Lebanon and the United States Iran. Donald Trump countered that Israel must fulfill its commitments.
On May 14, direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon opened in Washington, D.C., with Under Secretary of War Elbridge Colby in attendance. The Trump administration noted Israel's refusal to end its war in Lebanon. Without delay, Tehran, which had included peace in Lebanon in the Persian Gulf ceasefire agreement, declared that it no longer trusted the United States and broke off all talks.
On June 1, Donald Trump finally agreed to a phone conversation with his friend Netanyahu. He told him:
"You're crazy! You'd be in prison if it weren't for me. I'm saving your skin. Everyone hates you now. Everyone hates Israel because of you." [ 24 ]Then, he published on Truth Social:
"I had a conversation with Bibi Netanyahu today, asking him not to launch a major raid on Beirut, Lebanon. He ordered his troops to withdraw. Thank you, Bibi! I also had a conversation with representatives of the Hezbollah leadership, and they agreed to stop firing on Israel and its soldiers. Likewise, Israel agreed to stop firing on them. Let's see how long this lasts — I hope it's for ETERNITY!" [ 25 ]Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Jerusalem/Al-Quods, posted on X:
"Joe Kent is either not very smart or simply dishonest. Israel receives $3.8 billion, but spends much more than that on buying US military goods. The US also receives technological innovations, so the return on investment is much greater. The new memorandum of understanding with Israel ends aid and will be based on trade." [ 26 ]The Israeli Prime Minister then responded on X:
"I spoke with President Trump tonight and told him that if Hezbollah does not stop attacking our cities and our citizens, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut.The breakup is complete and accepted.
That is our firm position.
At the same time, the IDF will continue to operate as planned in the south of the country" [ 27 ] .
References:
1 ] God's New Israel . Conrad Cherry, Pentice Hall (1971).
[ 2 ] Jesus is coming , William E. Blackstone, 1878.
[ 3 ] The Politics of Christian Zionism (1891-1948) , Paul Merkley, Frack Cass (1998).
[ 4 ] "'The Negroponte Doctrine' concerning UN Security Council Resolutions on the Middle East". United States Mission to the United Nations . October 6, 2003.
[ 5 ] Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy , Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2007).
[ 6 ] " Donald Trump's Speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit ", by Donald Trump, Voltaire Network , May 21, 2017.
[ 7 ] " President Donald J. Trump's Proclamation on Jerusalem as the Capital of the State of Israel ", The White House, December 6, 2017.
[ 8 ] " Remarks by President Trump at Signing of Presidential Proclamation Recognizing Israel's Sovereign Right Over the Golan Heights ", Donald Trump, The White House , March 26, 2019.
[ 9 ] " Closure of the PLO Office in Washington ", State Department , September 10, 2018.
[ 10 ] " Remarks by President Trump on the Killing of Qasem Soleimani ", The White House, January 3, 2020.
[ 11 ] " Full Transcript of Donald Trump's '100 Days' Interview With TIME ," Time , April 25, 2025.
[ 12 ] Abraham Accords Peace Institute Annual Strategy , AAPI, August 27, 2021.
[ 13 ] " The Straussian coup in Israel ", by Thierry Meyssan, Voltaire Network , March 7, 2023.
[ 14 ] " The earth-shattering interview of Joe Kent by Tucker Carlson, which denounces the taking of Trump hostage by Netanyahu ", by Alfredo Jalife-Rahme, Translation Maria Poumier, La Jornada (Mexico), Voltaire Network , March 23, 2026.
[ 15 ] " US Puts 2,000 Troops on Higher Alert as Israel Readies Assault ", Anthony Capaccio, Bloomberg , October 17, 2023.
[ 16 ] " In Jerusalem, the 'Conference for the Victory of Israel' threatens London and Washington ", by Thierry Meyssan, Voltaire Network , February 13, 2024.
[ 17 ] " Imposing sanctions on the International criminal court ", The White House , February 6, 2025
[ 18 ] " The Group Behind Project 2025 Has a Plan to Crush the Pro-Palestinian Movement ", Katie JM Baker, The New York Times , May 18, 2025.
[ 19 ] " In shock announcement, Trump says US wants to take over Gaza Strip ", Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick and Jeff Mason, Reuters , February 5, 2025.
[ 20 ] Dispatch 3446: "Washington concludes separate agreement with Ansar Allah", Voltaire, International News , No. 132, May 9, 2025.
[ 21 ] " Behind the '12 Days' War' ", by Thierry Meyssan, Voltaire Network , July 1, 2025.
[ 22 ] " Will the 'Gaza Peace Council' save the influence of the United States? ", by Thierry Meyssan, Voltaire Network , February 24, 2026.
[ 23 ] " Trump cuts ties with Netanyahu over manipulation concerns: Report ", Faruk Hanedar and Gizem Nisa Cebi, Anadolu Agency , May 9, 2025.
[ 24 ] " 'You're fucking crazy': Trump fumes at Netanyahu in call on Lebanon ", Barak Ravid and Marc Caputo, Axios , June 1, 2026.
[ 25 ] " @realDonaldTrump ", Truth Social , June 1, 2026.
[ 26 ] " @GovMikeHuckabee ", Ambassador Mike Huckabee, X, June 1, 2026.
[ 27 ] " @IsraeliPM_heb ", ראש ממשלת ישראל, June 1, 2026.
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