Netanyahu Believed He Had a Backchannel to Shape U.S. Iran Policy – Until Trump Fired Waltz - Israel News - Haaretz.com
U.S. President Donald Trump was in no particular hurry to deny reports suggesting that one reason for his decision to dismiss National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was the latter's overly close coordination with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had reportedly sought to draw the United States into a war with Iran that the president didn't want.
It was Netanyahu who issued a statement on Saturday denying the report, but with all due respect to the effort he made to do so during the holy Sabbath – and that respect is very limited – the more meaningful response is Trump's silence.
The president's lack of denial so far suggests that Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer's hubris – they mistakenly see themselves as shadow presidents of the United States – has once again backfired.
- Trump, Netanyahu and the death-throes of the American and Zionist dreams
- Trump signals progress toward Iran deal, leaving Israel on the sidelines
- Trump reportedly blocked imminent Israeli strike on Iran amid Netanyahu pressure, talks
From the moment Trump finalized the team around him, Netanyahu and his right-hand man, Ron Dermer, began looking for a sympathetic ear. This is Dermer's signature move in every administration: pinpointing the insider through whom he and his boss can maneuver their way into the Oval Office.
They didn't know Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, a businessman who also dealt with Qatar and who has little tolerance for the lengthy speeches and geostrategic analyses the two relish.
U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S.Credit: Evelyn Hockstein / Reuters
Vice President J.D. Vance, who is emerging as both influential and popular, is an isolationist who avoids anything related to Israel. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles avoids foreign policy matters entirely, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has no real influence.
This is how Netanyahu and Dermer found their way to Waltz, a classic Republican, hardline hawk and imposing figure. Notably absent from Netanyahu's denial was one key detail: Did Dermer speak with Waltz and coordinate an anti-Iran strategy behind the president's back?
The administration's shift in attitude toward Netanyahu was already evident during the prime minister's hasty and perplexing Passover meeting with Trump.
While their first White House meeting in February saw Trump offer Netanyahu a political gift – the so-called Gaza golf-riviera plan, which enabled the latter to pass the state budget and reinstate National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, their second meeting delivered a blunt rebuke: direct U.S. negotiations with Iran.
Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, left, and Netanyahu in the Knesset, last year.Credit: Sraya Diamant
The story behind Waltz's ouster only highlights the failure of the last meeting between Trump and Netanyahu. In contrast to the DNA of his Republican predecessors, Bush senior and Bush junior, Trump is a pacifist president. His rhetoric is unbridled, but in practice, he has no interest in wars and only aims to achieve peace agreements. Given this situation, Netanyahu's room for maneuvering is very restricted.
Trump is expected to visit the region next week. During his first term, he opened his foreign tours with a visit to Saudi Arabia, continuing from there to Israel, to Bethlehem, and to the G7 summit in Italy. In his second term as well, he will begin his tour in Riyadh (following an unscheduled trip to the Pope's funeral at the Vatican), but this time, Israel is not on his itinerary.
The president will travel from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi and from there to Doha. Netanyahu is out; the Emir is in. "Why should he go to Israel?" a senior Republican senator who is close to Trump told a Knesset member over the weekend.
Indeed, for Trump, there really isn't much reason to. Trump wants achievements, and for now, Netanyahu has none on offer.
U.S. President Donald Trump talks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting where Trump announced nuclear talks with Iran, in April.Credit: Kevin Mohatt / REUTERS
The Gulf states, on the other hand, have a lot to offer. For example, airplane deals. Qatar Airways is one of the growing international airlines. Its fleet includes 249 planes (compared to El Al's 47). The Qatari airline has already ordered 199 additional planes, and work is now underway on an order for dozens of large passenger jets, a huge deal that will go to Boeing or Airbus.
Declaring the winner was postponed until later in May, perhaps signaling that this will be the bonus given to Trump in exchange for his visit to Doha. This will be good news for the American working class and definitive proof of the effectiveness of Trump's tariff policies.
Qatar Airways CEO Badr al-Meer was asked during an interview last week whether he had discussed this deal with the White House. "We are getting messages, obviously. It's a huge deal. They come from the U.S. and Europe," he replied. "They want to know when the deal is expected to take off, only for the sake of knowing," he said with a big smile.
Last week, before his father's arrival, Eric Trump visited Doha to announce a 3-billion-dollar deal involving the opening of an international golf facility. This definitely didn't harm his father's upcoming visit.
Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with Donald Trump in 2017.Credit: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Qatar is currently developing a new area half an hour outside Doha that will serve as an international tourist attraction. It will include amusement parks, water parks, Trump's golf, marinas and much more.
The deal works like this: A Qatari government company develops the area, a Saudi company develops the facilities, and Trump gives his name and experience in managing golf resorts without investing a single cent. Corrupt? Problematic? Who cares? The American people have spoken, and in this big-money game, Israel has nothing to sell.
Aside from the money, Trump's associates in the Gulf states will discuss with him issues pertaining to the Gaza Strip and the growing crisis there. They hope that opening their wallets to invest in the U.S. will open Trump's heart to their initiatives.
Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir in the Knesset, last year.Credit: Ohad Zwigenberg
The offer on the table has been there for over a year. It includes the release of the hostages and an end to the war, with Hamas taking a step backward and Arab countries taking control over Gaza, providing guarantees for preventing another war while investing money in Gaza's reconstruction.
However, Netanyahu is rejecting this plan since its immediate corollary is the departure of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir's factions from his coalition. As is well known, his seat is more important to him than the fate of the hostages. On Sunday morning, too, there was no change in the deadlocked status of the hostage deal.
The only hope is that when Trump meets his rich friends in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi and Doha, he will realize that he has to get personally involved and make Netanyahu stop sending Ron Dermer to say no to any proposal and to coerce Netanyahu into making some progress. If this too fails to help, it's really unclear where we're heading.