The United States has distanced itself from its 'most favored nation' Israel.
President Donald Trump completely excluded Israel from his first trip to the Middle East after taking office. During this period, Israel carried out large-scale airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. When President Trump pressured, saying 'end the war,' Prime Minister Netanyahu responded with an all-out war.
As the relationship between the two countries rapidly cooled, President Trump directly urged Israel to end the Gaza war.
According to Axios, a U.S. political media outlet, on the 20th (local time), Trump instructed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to 'conclude the Gaza war.'
A White House official told Axios that 'President Trump is frustrated with what is happening in Gaza' and noted that 'he wants hostages to return, aid to enter, and to start rebuilding Gaza.'
The official also added, 'President Trump sees a real opportunity for peace and prosperity in the Middle East.'
Experts noted that President Trump's current Middle East trip symbolically demonstrated a change in U.S.-Israel relations.
Historically, U.S. presidents have always visited Israel first when deciding to travel to the Middle East, as it is America's traditional ally. In contrast, Trump deliberately excluded Israel during his first overseas trip after his second administration inauguration, visiting only Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The New York Times (NYT) analyzed that 'this trip revealed that Israel, especially Prime Minister Netanyahu, has been pushed to the back of U.S. foreign policy.'
Itamar Rabinovich, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, pointed out that 'the objective of this trip is to shift attention and perception of the Middle East from Israel to the Gulf region, where there is more financial leverage.'
Before his trip to the Middle East, Trump repeatedly expressed his intention to end wars that hinder economic development. He holds the same position regarding the Russia-Ukraine war.
Trump has expressed his resolve to end wars that harm economic development during his term. He has the same position on the Russia-Ukraine war.
However, Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to the Trump administration's will by escalating the all-out war. As soon as Trump's Middle East trip began, Israel launched a major airstrike operation in Gaza called 'Gideon's Chariots.' France 24 reported on the 20th that 'at least 50 people have died from Israeli airstrikes in just one day.'
Reuters cited a former Israeli military operations chief analyzing that 'Israel is intentionally ignoring Trump's visit to the Middle East and acting like a 'rebellious child.'
The United States and Israel have shown differing opinions on the timeline for concluding the Gaza war and issues surrounding the handling of the Gaza Strip.
Trump wants to turn Gaza into a freedom zone that is beyond Israel's reach. In February, he went so far as to say, 'the U.S. will own Gaza in the long term.'
In contrast, Netanyahu advocates completely driving Hamas out of Gaza and maintaining long-term Israeli control over the Gaza Strip.
The two countries also openly displayed conflicts during the hostage release process. The Trump administration recently completely excluded Israel from the process of releasing Ethan Alexander, an Israeli-American dual national held by Hamas.
Trump, after completing negotiations with Hamas and securing the release, said, 'If it weren't for my people, he might not be alive right now,' downplaying Israel's role.
It is presumed that the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu began to deteriorate after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. At that time, Netanyahu was reportedly the first to congratulate Biden, who defeated Trump and was elected president. According to aides, an angered Trump subtly changed his perception of Israel afterward.
Recently, Trump has also clashed with Israel over the Iranian nuclear issue. Trump keeps the door open for negotiations with Iran, while Netanyahu strongly advocates military action against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Newsweek reported, citing a former advisor to the Israeli Prime Minister, that 'Trump and Netanyahu are irritating each other.'
Experts point to Netanyahu's political survival as a reason why Israel has launched a large-scale offensive in Gaza despite international isolation. He is currently in a situation where he cannot maintain power without support from far-right coalition partners. Strategic calculations to weaken Hamas's negotiating power through military pressure have also played a role.
The U.S. think tank Chatham House stated in a report this month that 'the strategic value of Israel is not as strong as it was in the past as the Trump administration focuses its diplomatic efforts on improving relations with Arab nations and securing economic benefits,' and 'Prime Minister Netanyahu is likely to choose to expand the war, relying on support from domestic far-right forces, so conflicts between the U.S. and Israel will continue for the time being.'