Signs of a rift in US-Israel relations?

afp__20251229__899a8uy__v1__highres__israelipmbenjaminnetanyahuvisits.jpg — US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on December 29, 2025. Photo: AFP

According to Axios and ABC News, US President Donald Trump had a tense phone call with the Israeli Prime Minister earlier this week. This stemmed from Washington's concern that Israel's threats to bomb Beirut would completely derail negotiation efforts with Tehran.

According to Axios, President Trump used very harsh language to warn the Israeli leader : "...You would be in big trouble without me. I'm trying to save you..."

Israeli media immediately dismissed the content of the phone call. When asked for confirmation, a White House official cited Trump's posts on the social media platform Truth Social. In these posts, Trump still thanked Prime Minister Netanyahu for agreeing to withdraw troops from Beirut and "end the shooting" against Hezbollah, following reports that Iran had suspended peace talks due to Israeli attacks on Lebanon.

According to observers, these escalating tensions reflect the precarious situation of both leaders, who are under immense pressure from the conflict in the Middle East.

In Washington, President Trump is struggling to find a way out of a trade war that has severely impacted the American economy , with less than six months remaining until the midterm elections – an event that will determine whether the Republican Party retains control of Congress.

Even within the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement, Trump is facing a wave of criticism. Former allies such as talk show host Tucker Carlson and former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene accuse the US of being drawn into another war in the Middle East, which they say goes against the "America First" principle.

Support for Israel within the Republican Party is also polarizing. According to a Pew Research poll in April, about 57% of Republicans aged 18-49 have an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 50% last year.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, veteran Prime Minister Netanyahu is also facing the risk of the collapse of his ruling right-wing coalition, while simultaneously facing a storm of criticism for allegedly making concessions to Washington on core security issues by canceling plans to attack Beirut...

The disagreement between the two leaders did not come as much of a surprise to diplomats.

Analyst Mairav Zonszein from the International Crisis Group (ICG) stated: "Nepal is desperate to maintain power, while Trump is trying to find a way out, and Washington clearly holds more negotiating leverage."

Ms. Zonszein emphasized the core difference at the present time: "President Trump wants to close the issue and move forward, but Netanyahu still wants to continue military operations. That is the biggest divergence between the two allies."

Source: https://baonghean.vn/dau-hieu-ran-nut-trong-quan-he-my-israel-10339294.html