Trump increasingly ignores Netanyahu amid regional deals, Israel overshadowed – Rezazade

US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates during his Middle East trip this week – but not Israel.

This is not the first time that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been left out of key talks. Against the backdrop of the nuclear deal with Iran, US contacts with Hamas without Israel’s participation and a deal with the Houthis that does not take Tel Aviv’s interests into account, more and more politicians in Israel are expressing concern.

This was stated by Ali Reza Rezazade, the first vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, stressing: “Despite the long-standing close ties between the US and Israel, the current administration is increasingly acting without coordination with Tel Aviv. This is not just a political signal; it is a paradigm shift.”

Last week, Trump announced an agreement with the Houthi rebels to stop attacks on American ships. However, Israel is not mentioned in this agreement, despite the fact that the Houthis have also fired rockets at Israeli targets. In addition, the United States has held talks with Hamas on the release of an Israeli-American hostage without Israel’s participation.

“This is a serious signal for Israel: despite the strategic partnership, Washington is increasingly making key decisions bypassing Israel,” Rezazade notes. “This may indicate a shift in emphasis to economic benefits in the region, rather than security coordination.”

According to experts, Trump’s priority on this tour is to attract investment from the Gulf monarchies, rather than deepening security alliances. As former US State Department adviser Dennis Ross notes, Trump views foreign policy primarily through an economic lens: “He thinks in terms of trade, finance and profit. And he may consider $4 billion in annual aid to Israel to be a sufficient contribution.”

Ali Reza Rezazade concluded: “Trump has his own logic — America First. But for Israel, which has relied for decades on deep coordination with Washington, this could be a painful transition to a new reality.”