From: Al Jazeera May 13, 2025
Israel resumes attacks on Gaza after US-Israeli soldier’s release

Israeli forces continue bombarding Gaza, killing at least 39 people (according to Hamas controlled local authorities) on Monday, after Hamas releases US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander from captivity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he’ll send mediators to Qatar for truce talks, while his office says Israel will hold off on plans to expand the war on Gaza until after US President Donald Trump’s Middle East visit.

From: The Australian May 12, 2025
Israel on cusp of finishing the war Hamas started

The Islamist Palestinian rulers has used Israel’s concern for every one of its citizens to paralyse the Jewish state.
But this month’s territorial moves into Gaza indicate a government finally ready to put its full force into destroying the enclave’s terrorist network.

You believed that story? You believed that...

The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump
Forward Jewish news by Dan Perry 09 May 2025

Extracts:

• The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump

They may have to think again

Trump's first term had delivered a series of triumphs for Israel’s right wing — and truthfully, much of Israeli society
But Trump's second term — The shocks kept coming

Earlier this week, shortly after a Houthi missile struck the grounds of Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport — causing most airlines to cease flying to Israel — Trump revealed a deal with the Houthis to end US-led strikes targeting the group in Yemen

In exchange, the Houthis would stop attacking ships heading through the Red Sea toward the Suez Canal
Israel left out of the deal? No promise from the Houthis to stop firing at Israel

The timing, two days after the airport incident, left Israelis once again feeling that Trump had thrown them under the bus

And Trump, while erratic on Gaza, now seems skeptical of the indefinite war Israel appears to envision

After allowing Netanyahu to resume military operations, Trump now wants a quick, decisive win that he can claim as his own — a distant vision from the military occupation the government this week moved toward officially pursuing

The prospect of an endless war may be helpful in keeping together Netanyahu’s benighted coalition but does not fit Trump’s narrative

The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump
Forward Jewish news by Dan Perry 09 May 2025

Extracts:

• The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump

They may have to think again

Trump unlike Biden, also never tried to restrain Israel’s military moves in Gaza
So when Trump returned to power, Netanyahu likely expected a blank check

Netanyahu may have believed he could manipulate the famously mercurial ex-president — as many credit him with having done in 2018 when Netanyahu persuaded Trump to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal (In retrospect, perhaps Trump was simply eager to rip apart a deal struck by Barack Obama)

At the heart of these developments lies an interesting truth: Trump is not former President Theodore Roosevelt

Where Roosevelt said “Speak softly and carry a big stick” Trump does the opposite
Trump speaks loudly — often absurdly so — but for all his bluster, Trump is, at least militarily, something of a pacifist

1. Trump's wars are trade wars
2. Trump prizes deals that let him declare victory without firing a shot

Though there have been no public declarations of a rift, the signs are increasingly visible

The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump
Forward Jewish news by Dan Perry 09 May 2025

Extracts:

• The Israeli right thought they had an ally in US president Trump

They may have to think again

It’s not just that Trump is avoiding visiting Israel: In another stunning shift, Trump appears ready to proceed with a strategic defense pact with Saudi Arabia even without conditioning it on normalization with Israel

Biden had made normalization a key prerequisite; Trump seems to have dropped it

That is certainly not what anyone in Israel hoped for: Normalization with Saudi Arabia is a holy grail of Israeli diplomacy and would be a boost for its economy, a chance to break the last major Arab resistance to acceptance of the Jewish state

Trump’s next moves are impossible to predict and he could always, once again, turn on a dime

But the signs are there that he has observed that Netanyahu — who is beholden to far-right coalition partners demanding maximalist war aims — cannot or will not deliver what Saudi Arabia needs to ensure a diplomatic leap

If normalization is off the table because of Netanyahu, Trump sees little value in delaying an agreement with Riyadh that is, for him, a much-needed foreign policy win This would be a catastrophic loss for Israel

Instead of seizing the long-yearned-for opportunity to establish ties with their powerful neighbor, Israel appears to be squandering it in service of keeping Netanyahu’s coalition intact

The Israeli public can only watch as the price of that goal — paid for by the blood of hostages and soldiers, a struggling economy and missed diplomatic breakthroughs — mounts

What Trump seems to have realized — perhaps more clearly than many Israelis themselves — is that the current Israeli government in Jerusalem is not a true ally of the US

The Israeli people are overwhelmingly so
But Netanyahu’s government, driven by internal survival and beholden to extremists, is out of step not just with American interests but with Israeli ones as well

Dan Perry is the former chief editor of The Associated Press in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the former chairman of the Foreign Press Association in Jerusalem and the author of two books about Israel

No to Bibi, Yes to Abbas: Trump’s Middle East Visit Shocks Israel
Jfeed Israel news by Gila Isaacson 11 May 2025

Extracts:

• No to Bibi, Yes to Abbas: Trump’s Middle East Visit Shocks Israel

President Trump will meet with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas but not with Israeli officials, during his visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE
Israel, under fire on multiple fronts, is left out amid fears of US concessions to Iran and the Houthis

While Israel was surprised by President Trump's decision to skip the Jewish state during his Middle East visit this week, it has now emerged that the US president plans to meet with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in the coming days The meeting with Abbas is reportedly set to take place in Saudi Arabia

This news comes amid cooling relations between Jerusalem and Washington

The visit, set to begin tomorrow, will include Arab nations such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates while Israel, currently engaged in a war on multiple fronts, will be bypassed

However a troubling report published today on Egyptian television channel Al-Ghad reveals that President Trump plans to meet with Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority Chairman, during his visit to the region

Trump is also expected to meet with Syria's new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who had previously been sought by the US for his involvement in terrorist activities

Additionally, reports indicate that the upcoming US-Arab summit is likely to be held under the auspices of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has so far refused normalization with Israel without a clear vision for a future Palestinian state

Lebanese President-elect Michel Aoun is also on the guest list and discussions with Arab countries are expected to focus heavily on relations with Israel

No to Bibi, Yes to Abbas: Trump’s Middle East Visit Shocks Israel
Jfeed Israel news by Gila Isaacson 11 May 2025

Extracts:

• No to Bibi, Yes to Abbas: Trump’s Middle East Visit Shocks Israel

For many on the Israeli right, Trump seemed like a dream president:
1. uninterested in Palestinian statehood
2. unbothered by human rights critiques
3. uncritical of West Bank settlements
4. and largely aligned with their “might makes right” worldview

But those days may be gone — How quickly things appear to change
Just a few weeks ago, Trump was proclaiming that he and Netanyahu were “on the same side of every issue”

Now, Trump is skipping Israel on the first Middle Eastern visit of his new presidency and has reportedly stepped back from his once-close relationship with his Israeli counterpart

Trump's decision to exclude Israel from his visit comes alongside a worrying decision to halt attacks on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, leaving Israel isolated in its struggle against the Iranian-backed group

In Israel, there are also concerns that Trump might make a hasty move in nuclear talks with Iran, particularly if he permits Tehran to continue enriching uranium on its soil

Last night (Saturday) Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, clarified that the Trump administration does not intend to allow Iran to enrich uranium on its territory, an issue that had been unclear in the rhetoric of the new US administration toward Tehran

Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza
The Guardian by Emma Graham-Harrison 13 May 2025

Extracts:

• Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza

The US president will not visit Israel on a trip to the Middle East

Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff has reportedly said Netanyahu’s government is drawing out the war Witkoff didn’t mince his words

In a meeting late on Sunday with former hostages and relatives of those still held in Gaza, Witkoff told them Israel is drawing out a war the US wants to end, local media reported

On the eve of the release of Edan Alexander, the last living American being held by Hamas, Witkoff spelt out the gulf between his boss US president Donald Trump and the government of Benjamin Netanyahu

Witkoff told the meeting, according to Channel 12 Television, quoting sources who were present,
It was the latest in a series of high-profile and high-stakes snubs from the White House which suggest that Israel’s most important ally is frustrated with its government — and possibly losing interest in its fortunes

Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza
The Guardian by Emma Graham-Harrison 13 May 2025

Extracts:

• Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza

Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, said,
Trump may not have embarked on the open attacks that have characterised his relationship with other leaders fighting a war he wants to end, such as Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russia’s Vladimir Putin but
1. recent policy moves have undermined Israeli security
2. weakened Israeli's diplomatic standing
3. and flown against Israeli defence policy, particularly over how to handle Iran

Last week Trump announced a ceasefire deal with the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen which excluded Israel

Trump described the Houthi rebels as “brave” just days after one of their missiles hit Israel’s main airport, prompting many international airlines to suspend flights Houthi attacks on Israel have continued

Trump previously dismissed Israeli calls for military action against Iran, instead opening talks with Tehran on ending its nuclear programme

Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza
The Guardian by Emma Graham-Harrison 13 May 2025

Extracts:

• Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza

Days after the Houthi ceasefire deal, news leaked that the Trump administration had dropped a Biden-era demand that linked progress on a Saudi Arabian civilian nuclear programme to normalising relations with Israel

Saudi Arabia has ruled out normalisation while Israel is at war in Gaza
Trump’s move made clear he doesn’t want his hands to be tied as he heads to Riyadh later this week to seal billions of dollars in expected deals

Trump's first trip to the region since returning to the White House will also include visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates but not Israel
That conspicuous absence from the presidential itinerary would have been unthinkable in recent decades

Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza
The Guardian by Emma Graham-Harrison 13 May 2025

Extracts:

• Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza

Ilan Baruch, a former Israeli ambassador who now chairs the Policy Working Group, which advocates for a two-state solution, said,
Nadav Eyal, a research scholar at Columbia University and a commentator with the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, said,
Eyal added,
Still, Benjamin Netanyahu’s celebration of Israel-US ties at the start of the year, when he was the first foreign leader invited to Donal Trump’s second-term White House, now look premature

Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza
The Guardian by Emma Graham-Harrison 13 May 2025

Extracts:

• Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza

Although US-Israeli dual citizen and soldier Edan Alexander’s release was agreed without Israeli input, Netanyahu responded initially not by thanking Trump but by in effect claiming credit for it

Netanyahu's office said in a statement before his planned release,
Netanyahu is already facing the fury of hostage families and their supporters, who say Netanyahu is extending the war – and their suffering – for personal political gain One, Einav Tsengauker, described the prime minister on Monday as an “angel of death”

But Netanyahu’s truculent response to the release of Alexander, risks stirring up the anger of a far more potent enemy whose endless appetite for praise and deference is now the basis of global foreign policy from Beijing to Brussels

Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza
The Guardian by Emma Graham-Harrison 13 May 2025

Extracts:

• Netanyahu must now work for support of US as Trump tires of Israel’s war in Gaza

Trump’s post celebrating US-Israeli dual citizen and soldier Edan Alexander’s release spelt out what he wants to see next
There is broad support inside Israel for ending the war in return for the release of all hostages, with opinion polls showing more than two-thirds of the country back a deal

But those who want to carry on fighting include the leaders of two far-right parties at the heart of Netanyahu’s coalition
That leaves Netanyahu potentially facing a choice between shoring up his government or shoring up Israel’s most important relationship

Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat stated,

Haaretz May 13, 2025
Trump aims to unveil plan to end Gaza war in Qatar, ordering Netanyahu to fall in line

As Their Interests Diverge, Netanyahu Must Choose: Toe Trump's Line or Escalate the War in Gaza

The U.S. president's strategy is risky — but infinitely is better than the eternal war that Netanyahu is proposing.
Discriminating between hostages is a dangerous precedent and sends a painful message to the families

After six months of speculation following Donald Trump's election, the strategic direction of the U.S. president is becoming clear.
As has long been argued, he is looking for giant deals and diplomatic agreements, not more wars.

Indeed, there is no longer a Witkoff framework. There is a Trump framework.
After three months of fruitless and directionless negotiations, we have reached the moment of decision impasse

Netanyahu is left with two options
1. The first is to agree with the Americans and present it to the public as his own initiative, which he successfully sold to the Americans.
2. The second is to agree with the Americans and market it as their idea, which he had no choice but to accept.

The Atlantic May 13, 2025

Trump Sides With the Israeli People Against Netanyahu.
Most Israelis want to end the war, but their prime minister does not.

Today, Hamas freed Edan Alexander, its sole remaining living American hostage.

The release was the result of a back-channel dialogue between the United States and the terrorist group ahead of Donald Trump’s arrival in the region this week.

Announcing the news on social media, the president heralded the event not as a one-off, but as a step “to put an end to this very brutal war and return ALL living hostages and remains to their loved ones.”

Israel was not involved in the process and, according to Axios, found out about the negotiations only through its intelligence services.
Some reports have cast this disconnect as indicative of a chasm between Trump and Israel. But this is a misreading.

The divide is not between the president and Israel so much as between the president and Israel’s leader.
Most Israelis support what Trump is doing — and oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the war in Gaza.

This dynamic was evident from an emotional moment that took place in mid-air.
Earlier today, Adam Boehler, Trump’s special envoy for hostage response, flew to Israel with Alexander’s mother in advance of her son’s release.

In an unusual move, Boehler addressed the commercial flight over the intercom
“President Trump, when he told me to go get back every hostage, every Israeli, he wasn’t kidding,”

Boehler told the passengers
“And I want you to know that this is the start. We’re going after every single hostage that there exists in all of Israel.
We’re coming for them all, because the bond of Israel and the bond of the United States has never been stronger.”

The people on the plane applauded.

Reuters May 13, 2025
Israel normalization won’t be on table as Trump visits Saudis, sources say

As U.S. President Donald Trump makes his way to Riyadh, sources tell Reuters that both the Americans and Saudis will likely avoid the topic of normalization with Israel during talks, which are expected to focus on economic deals rather than diplomacy or statecraft.

Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said last week that he imminently expected progress on expanding the Abraham Accords, a set of deals brokered by Trump in his first term under which Arab states including the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco recognized Israel.

But opposition by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a permanent stop to the war in Gaza or to the creation of a Palestinian state makes progress on similar talks with Riyadh unlikely, sources tell Reuters.

Trump is expected to land at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport at 9:45 a.m.
He is slated to hold meetings with Saudi leaders starting at noon, according to the White House.

Trump’s second and third stops — in Qatar on Wednesday and the UAE on Thursday — are similarly expected to focus on economic issues.

The Times of Israel May 13, 2025
Trump starts Mideast trip with crush of problems, outsized certainty he has the answers.

While president intends to press Gulf leaders to pour funds into U.S. economy, they’ll likely press him on how U.S. will address Gaza war, Iran nuclear program and India-Pakistan tensions.

U.S. President Donald Trump set out on a three-nation visit to the Middle East on Monday, a trip he had originally intended to use to focus on his efforts to press wealthy Gulf nations to pour billions in new investment into the United States.

But now Trump finds himself navigating a series of geopolitical crises — and searching for glimmers of hope in the deep well of global turmoil — that are casting greater import on the first extended overseas trip of his second term.

Trump crowed to reporters as he sized up the foreign policy challenges he’s facing as he heads to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
“This world is a lot safer today than it was a week ago,” “And a lot safer than it was six months ago.”

The president was brimming with an overabundance of confidence about some of the world’s most intractable problems, from tensions in South Asia to the future of sanctions in Syria to the war in Ukraine.

But behind closed doors, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani, and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed will be looking to get a bead on how Trump intends to push ahead on resolving
1. the war in Gaza,
2. dealing with Iran’s rapidly progressing nuclear program
3. and addressing India-Pakistan tensions.

The Times of Israel May 13, 2025

Trump sees opening in Gaza
While Trump pumped up Alexander’s release as a potential turning point, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was far more subdued.
Israel, notably, has not stepped back from plans to expand its war in Gaza.

Trump and administration officials framed the moment — a goodwill gesture toward Trump by Hamas — as a chance to get foundering peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas back on track.

Big differences remain in Iran nuclear talks
As the talks continue, the Trump administration has sent mixed messages about what nuclear work Iran would be allowed to do under a potential deal.

Senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have said that Tehran would be required to import enriched material to run nuclear reactors for civilian purposes. Trump, however, said this past week that his administration hasn’t made a decision on the issue.

It’s also unclear if Trump as part of any nuclear deal will insist that Tehran give up support of
1. Hamas in Gaza,
2. Hezbollah in Lebanon
3. and Houthi militants in Yemen

Trump takes a different tone on Syria
As he prepared to leaved Washington, Trump also said he’s weighing removing sanctions on the Syrian government.
The comments marked a striking change in tone from Trump, who has been deeply skeptical of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa.

Trump, adding that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has urged him to do so
“We may want to take them off of Syria, because we want to give them a fresh start,”

It’s an issue that’s top of mind for the three Gulf leaders, who have rallied behind the new government in Damascus and will want Trump to follow through.
The Trump administration has yet to formally recognize the new Syrian government. Sanctions imposed on Damascus under Assad also remain in place.

Trump Russia-Ukraine demands
And after weeks of threats and cajoling, it remains to be seen if Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will listen to Trump, who is demanding they meet in Istanbul this week to discuss ending Russia’s war on Ukraine.

But Ukraine’s allies remained deeply skeptical Monday about prospects for talks and whether Putin was serious about peace.

The Times of Israel May 13, 2025
Cajoling India and Pakistan with trade

Trump also took credit for his administration keeping India and Pakistan from returning to a state of all-out war amid the deadliest fighting in six years between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

The president said he and aides were ultimately able to talk sense to India and Pakistan’s leadership and guide them away from further escalation by dangling carrots, while also threatening both nations with sticks.

“I said, ‘Come on, we’re going to do a lot of trade with you guys,’” Trump said.
“’If you stop it, we’ll do trade. If you don’t stop it, we’re not going to do any trade.’ People never use trade the way I used it.”

The Times of India May 13, 2025
PM Modi negates Trump claim that U.S. brokered ‘ceasefire’

Without referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, PM Modi negated his claim that his administration was instrumental in getting India and Pakistan to suspend hostilities and agree to start comprehensive negotiations for peace.

The refutation came within minutes of Trump’s reiteration of claim he first made on Saturday about his administration being the mediator between New Delhi and Islamabad.