As decisive elections draw closer in both the United States and the Israeli occupation entity, President Donald Trump and Zionist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are facing mounting domestic political pressures that are pulling them in different directions. The shift is exposing growing tensions within the US-Israeli alliance and raising questions over how much influence Trump can still exert over Netanyahu.
The Washington Post and Politico highlighted the dispute, which came into the open after Netanyahu rejected a plan backed by the White House to implement the next phase of Trump’s Gaza peace proposal.
In a revealing statement, Netanyahu said, according to the Washington Post, that the Israeli occupation entity knows how to stand its ground even against its “best friends” when necessary—a message that appeared aimed directly at Trump, who had presented the plan as a historic breakthrough.
Conflicting Electoral Pressures
The dispute reflects competing electoral pressures. Trump needs to demonstrate foreign-policy results ahead of the US midterm elections, while Netanyahu fears that any concession in Gaza could alienate the Israeli right-wing constituency on which his political survival depends.
Trump’s position is further complicated, the Washington Post reported, by declining public approval of his handling of foreign affairs, particularly the war with Iran.
Analysts cited by the newspaper say the president needs tangible achievements in Iran, Ukraine, and Gaza before the elections, as some voters who backed his “America First” agenda have grown increasingly frustrated with renewed US involvement in overseas conflicts.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, faces an equally consequential domestic battle. He has come under intense pressure from far-right ministers in his coalition, who oppose any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza before Hamas is fully disarmed.
After Backing All Israeli Wars on Lebanon, US Administration "Criticizes" Katz over Occupation Remarks pic.twitter.com/QG0HklDCl3
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Between Trump and the Far Right
Hebrew University political scientist Gayil Talshir says Netanyahu is caught between commitments he has made to Trump and the demands of far-right parties and settlers, who oppose even a withdrawal to the Yellow Line.
The Israeli occupation has also expanded the territory under its control in Gaza to more than 60%, while Netanyahu has spoken of extending the line to encompass 70% of the Strip.
In the Zionist entity, the October elections carry particular weight for Netanyahu, who faces formidable challengers and growing public anger over his handling of the October 7 attack and the failure to prevent it.
According to the Washington Post, opinion polls suggest that opposition parties could potentially form a coalition with the 61 seats required to control the Knesset, threatening Netanyahu’s hold on power. His political predicament also has a deeply personal dimension, with his ongoing trial on charges involving fraud, breach of trust, and bribery.
Growing Concern Among US Allies
Politico goes further, arguing that Netanyahu’s rejection of the US-backed plan is beginning to alarm Washington’s allies over the Trump administration’s ability to influence “Israel” and, more broadly, the Middle East.
The publication cited diplomats as saying Washington may either lack the leverage—or be unwilling to use it—needed to force progress on Gaza, potentially undermining the credibility of US diplomatic efforts on other regional issues.
The picture, however, remains unsettled. The White House has avoided a public confrontation with Netanyahu and has maintained that the relationship between the two leaders remains strong. One administration official dismissed the rejection of the plan as little more than “electoral posturing” aimed at the Israeli public.
A Significant Political Signal
Even so, Netanyahu’s ability to reject a plan endorsed by Trump is itself a significant political signal. Trump previously claimed he could influence the Israeli prime minister, saying, “If I ask him to do something, he does it.” But the dispute over Gaza—and, before that, their differences over the war with Iran—suggest that the relationship is no longer defined by one-sided American leverage.
Trump has therefore not necessarily lost his influence over Netanyahu altogether, but that influence appears increasingly costly and less reliable. As the elections approach, both men will become more constrained by their domestic political calculations. Trump may find himself forced to pressure an ally whose cooperation he needs, while Netanyahu may be compelled to resist a US president whose support remains vital to him.
The real question, then, may not be whether the US-Israeli alliance will collapse but how far Trump and Netanyahu can pursue their own political agendas without exposing the limits of their alliance or undermining each other’s interests.
Source: Al-Jazeera Net (Edited and translated by Al-Manar English)