Netanyahu surrounded by fawning US-Congressmen and women following his speech at the US Capitol on July 24, 2024<\/p>\n
I have in the past speculated that the day might come when President Donald Trump, he of a massive ego, might just become tired of his being manipulated and controlled by America\u2019s Israel Lobby and by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in particular. I thought, and hoped, that he might become so annoyed that he might move to take control of the so-called tail wags the dog relationship that has for so long put Israel in the driver\u2019s seat. While I am loath to read too much into several recent developments, the first suggestion that all is not well<\/a> in Washington\u2019s relationship with what has been euphemistically referred to as \u201cAmerica\u2019s best friend and closest ally.\u201d<\/p>\n Many observers are now openly voicing their view that Israel and its all-powerful Lobby in the United States have corrupted and now control many aspects of government, starting at the top in Washington and working its way down to state and local levels. Witness the near worship of Netanyahu by groveling congress critters during recent visits to Capitol Hill if you want a tangible display of government serving no conceivable national interest. Or check out the \u201cantisemitism\u201d and anti-Boycott legislation currently moving through Congress that will strip all Americans of free speech and free association, leaving them able to demonstrate against or even criticize their own country or other nations with the single exception of the Jewish state. If you don\u2019t believe that will happen, check out the current tale<\/a> coming out of San Marcos in Texas at the hands of ardently Zionist Governor Greg Abbott.<\/p>\n Given that Jews constitute something like 3% of the US population the establishment of such control through bribery and the support of a compliant media is truly a remarkable achievement but one might plausibly argue that it has done terrible damage to the country as a whole and has contributed nothing to benefit the American people. Israel is currently carrying out a genocide against the Palestinians that is funded, armed and provided with political cover by the Trump Administration, following on to the model established by Genocide Joe Biden, which could be stopped with one phone call to Netanyahu from the White House. But, unfortunately, up until now no one has been picking up the phone.<\/p>\n I must admit to being shocked to have read some of the recent news coverage, mostly coming out of Israeli and other foreign media, of course, that is describing the rift between Trump and Netanyahu. The signs that trouble could be brewing might well be dated back to January 11th<\/sup>, when US Presidential Special Envoy Steve Witkoff demanding a meeting<\/a> in Tel Aviv with Netanyahu. Netanyahu responded that it was a Saturday, the Sabbath, but Witkoff, acting under orders from Trump, insisted and the meeting was held. It turned out to be a tense exchange which included a demand that a ceasefire for Gaza drawn by the White House be implemented, and so it was, though Netanyahu later proceeded to withdraw from it and recommence hostilities before it entered phase two on March 1st<\/sup>. A demand by Trump that Netanyahu should visit him<\/a> in Washington in early April followed and there were reported disagreements about the Administration\u2019s tariff plan and about US negotiations with Hamas without Israel\u2019s input. Discussions also concerned US discussions with Iran to restore a program (JCPOA), canceled by Trump during his first term in office, to monitor the Iranian nuclear program to prevent it from being weaponized. Netanyahu was demanding a \u201cLibyan Solution\u201d<\/a> which would have been a war including US forces that would have basically destroyed Iran\u2019s defensive capabilities, something that even a White House disinclined to deal with reality realized would never be accepted in Tehran. Netanyahu was reportedly also angry at the Trump Administration\u2019s resistance to his own plans to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians while also going to war with the Iranians.<\/p>\n So, the US move to negotiate with Hamas directly, sidelining Israel, started the rebellion on the part of Washington and it was followed up by the negotiations with Iran, again without Israel\u2019s input. And there was also the issue of US negotiations with Saudi Arabia<\/a>, again without including Israel, over the Kingdom\u2019s intention to develop its own civil nuclear program. And finally, there was last week\u2019s decision to enter into a ceasefire with the Houthis after direct negotiations, described by the White House comically as a \u201ccapitulation\u201d by the Yemenis. Some observers accepted the language but have been questioning who had done the surrendering in a war that cost in excess of $1 billion and which accomplished nothing. Israel, for its part, was not involved in either the talks or the agreement, leading an aggrieved Netanyahu to vow to \u201cdefend ourselves alone\u201d.<\/p>\n But this week, Trump sent the clearest message of all to Netanyahu. He has been planning to meet with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in the Middle East next week but will not meet with Netanyahu. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also canceled<\/a> a planned trip to Israel at the same time, according to two Israeli officials, reinforcing the message sent by the president. The immediate cause of the rift was that Trump had apparently hoped for a major de-escalation<\/a> and even a ceasefire in Gaza as a highlight of his trip for which he would have taken credit, but Netanyahu instead called up army reserves and ordered a major escalation. The Times of Israel<\/em> reported that \u201cTrump is disappointed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u201d citing two \u201csenior sources close to the president.\u201d And even opinion columnist Thomas Friedman in normally careful-about-its-reporting on Israel The New York Times<\/em> is openly suggesting<\/a> in a piece \u201cThis Israeli Government is Not Our Ally\u201d that the Netanyahu government is no longer behaving as an American friend because of its regime\u2019s extremist agenda.<\/p>\n Several reports, relying on what are claimed to be multiple sources inside the Israeli government, have now claimed that Trump has de facto<\/em> cut ties with Netanyahu and will have no direct contact<\/a> with the Israeli Prime Minister. Israeli government Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer and former Ambassador to the US was in Washington on Thursday and was welcomed and met with<\/a> Trump. He was reportedly told flatly that the US \u201cwill move forward on regional plans without coordinating with Netanyahu, accusing him of manipulation.\u201d One report on the development went on to emphasize that what Trump hates most is being looked down upon and being manipulated, \u201cThere is nothing Trump hates more than being portrayed as a fool or someone being played. That\u2019s why he decided to cut contact with Netanyahu,\u201d one US official speaking off the record added.<\/p>\n What is not being discussed in the media but is nevertheless being considered in intelligence circles in Washington is the possible connection of the excommunication of Netanyahu with various dismissals and relocations of high officials in Washington, including that of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz who was demoted to the post of UN Ambassador. It seems that there is strong evidence to suggest that Netanyahu did not exactly trust Trump and has been spying on him and his decision making through a number of officials in his cabinet, which explains to a certain extent the odd Signal phone calls where journalist Jeffrey Goldberg just happened to be listening in and other incidents that suggest that Mossad or the Israeli Embassy in Washington has established relationships that sought to go around the president and might be described as espionage. It would also help to explain the mixed signals coming out of the administration, suggesting that some \u201crecruits\u201d are being coached on what to say to advance the Netanyahu agenda.<\/p>\n How all of this will develop and where it will eventually wind up remains somewhat up in the air as the powerful Israel Lobby is almost certainly cranking up efforts to restore the Jewish state\u2019s dominance of US foreign policy in the Middle East, what Trump is now defining as \u201cmanipulation.\u201d Zionist uber hawks in Congress are already warning the White House that any agreement on nuclear developments with Iran will be rejected by the legislature if it does not include a \u201ccomplete dismantling\u201d of all nuclear enrichment by Tehran, something that is not likely to be acceptable and which means that no agreement will be possible. Wholly owned by Israel Senators Lindsey Graham, Tom Cotton and Ted Cruz are leading the charge<\/a> and claim to have enough votes to block any such proposal, which means it will not be a \u201claw\u201d or treaty and could be \u201cwithdrawn from\u201d by any new president, just as Trump did with the original JCPOA in 2017.<\/p>\n So, there has been some movement in the relationship between Israel and the United States. As it is headed towards Washington regaining some independence of action in its Middle Eastern foreign policy it can only be a good thing as the lopsided relationship with Israel has brought nothing but grief and suffering. One can hope that it will continue in that more positive direction but there will be strong resistance from Congress and the Media, directed by the powerful Israel Lobby. Trump and whoever supports him will find themselves assailed from all sides but we ordinary citizens who are watching all this from the sidelines will have to hope and pray for a good result.<\/p>\n Philip M. Giraldi, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest, a 501(c)3 tax deductible educational foundation (Federal ID Number #52-1739023) that seeks a more interests-based U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Website is <\/em>councilforthenationalinterest.org,<\/em><\/strong> address is P.O. Box 2157, Purcellville VA 20134 and its email is <\/em>inform@cnionline.org<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n