The Mideast's Trump Card (guest post by "Blue Flash") ~ Elder Of Ziyon

Friday, May 09, 2025

The Mideast's Trump Card (guest post by "Blue Flash")

THE MIDEAST’S TRUMP CARD

by Blue Flash

Welcome to Israel's new reality.

A short three months ago at a White House press conference, Bibi Netanyahu was euphoric as President Trump announced the plan (dubbed “Trumpsfer”) to completely level the Gaza Strip and relocate all 2 million Gazans to neighboring countries.

Trump was fulfilling his repeated assertion as “the best President Israel has ever had.”

Now however, with a series of deals that excludes Israeli participation, Trump appears to be remaking the Mideast landscape to Israel’s detriment:

• Houthis: On Tuesday, Trump announced a halt to US attacks on the Houthis. This completely blindsided Israel, who allegedly found out about it on the news.

More troubling, Trump’s announcement – two days after a Houthi ballistic missile struck Ben Gurion Airport – failed to even mention Houthi attacks on Israel.

Israel is now left to fight the Houthis alone.

• Saudis: Next week, Trump will be in Saudi Arabia to finalize a comprehensive deal that allegedly offers the Saudis advanced American weapons, extensive economic cooperation, and support for a Saudi civil nuclear program.

Meanwhile, the entire topic of Saudi normalization with Israel – Bibi’s big diplomat prize – has been sidelined.

• Iran: Trump’s Iran nuclear talks – a nightmare scenario for Israel that could leave Iran’s nuclear program intact – increasingly resembles the ongoing pattern, from Carter to Obama, of US presidents appeasing the Iranian jihadi tyrants. Israel was again sidelined, notified about these negotiations only at the last minute.

Such an agreement would severely restrict Israel’s latitude in attacking Iran. (In April, Trump reportedly blocked an imminent Israeli strike on Iran.)

• Gaza: After a serious of missed ceasefire deadlines, Trump has lost patience with the situation in Gaza, and is floating a deal that leaves Hamas intact. This is a far cry from Israel’s longstanding demand that Hamas be disarmed and prohibited from any role in Gaza’s governance.

• Additionally, Trump is preparing to withdraw US forces from Syria, while cozying up to Erdogan and considering selling F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

With Israel’s adversaries striking deals with Washington behind Israel’s back, that leaves Israel a much-weakened regional force.

Further, these developments weaken Bibi politically. Combined with ongoing IDF causalities in Gaza, and increased pressure from the hostage families and their supporters, don’t be surprised if Bibi is forced to prematurely end the Gaza war.

(EoZ: I was playing around with a more comprehensive analysis of Trump's thinking but I couldn't finish it this week. I will be traveling for the next two weeks but if I get a chance I'll try to get it out.)