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
