Differences in the attitudes of Washington and Tel Aviv are said to be getting sharper, while surveys show the opposition has the opportunity to take over the government.
BUTOLPOST – Relations between the United States and Israel are reportedly entering a new phase. President Donald Trump’s administration is said to have begun establishing informal communications with a number of Israeli opposition figures amid increasing speculation regarding the future of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
An Israeli Channel 12 report quoted by Anadolu stated that a number of US government officials believe that Netanyahu’s government has the potential to end if political changes occur in the near future. On this basis, Washington began to open lines of communication with a number of opposition figures, including Naftali Bennett from the Together Party and Gadi Eisenkot from the Yashar Party.
The media said the move was taken as part of efforts to build relations with future Israeli leaders, as differences in views between Washington and Tel Aviv increase on a number of strategic issues.
“The US administration has expressed concern about hardliners in Netanyahu’s government and is seeking to build a new base of public support ahead of the election,” the Channel 12 report said.
Over the past few months, Israeli opposition groups have also been said to be trying to strengthen ties with the Trump administration. However, this approach has only received a response from US officials who have been critical of Netanyahu’s policies.
Washington reportedly wants to establish a new communication mechanism with various political forces in Israel, although President Trump has so far not publicly provided support to any opposition figures.
On the other hand, opinion poll results published by the daily Maariv show that the opposition’s chances of forming a government are quite large if elections are held now. The opposition bloc is estimated to be able to control 61 parliamentary seats, while the coalition supporting Netanyahu only won around 49 seats. Arab parties are predicted to secure 10 seats.
The report emerged in the midst of ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran in Switzerland which were mediated by Pakistan to defuse the military conflict. The resulting interim agreement called for a cessation of hostilities on multiple fronts, including Lebanon.
However, the Israeli government refuses to link the Iran issue to the situation in Lebanon. Netanyahu emphasized that Israel would not withdraw its troops from the territory it still occupies in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, based on official Lebanese government data, Israeli attacks since March 2 have reportedly killed nearly 4,000 people and injured more than 12,000 others.
Reports regarding US communications with the Israeli opposition still come from local Israeli media and have not received official confirmation from the White House or the Israeli Prime Minister’s office.***
