Is the Trump Administration’s Rift with Netanyahu Real?

posted on: Oct 29, 2025

By Jake Harris / Arab America Contributing Writer

The Gaza Ceasefire is quite evidently hanging on by a thread. Accusations of breaches have been rampant. The Israeli government accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire in Rafah. Hamas have responded reiterating that Israel controls Rafah and that they are unaware of any clashes. Israel has carried out strikes in the Gaza Strip since the Ceasefire came into effect. The Trump administration is scrambling to save the deal.

Trump reacts to West Bank Annexation Vote

The Israeli Knesset recently advanced two bills relating to the annexation of the West Bank. The bills were introduced by members of far-right parties. These parties have more expansionist foreign policy objectives than the mainstream right-wing party, the Likud Party. 

Vice President J.D. Vance acknowledged that the vote appeared to be symbolic rather than substantive and referred to the motion as a “stupid political stunt”. Marco Rubio called it “counterproductive”. One of the angriest reactions came from President Trump himself. Prior to the Ceasefire, Trump gave his word to the media that “I will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank”. Adding to his statement, he gave his reasoning that its “enough” and that people are ready for the fighting to stop. Marco Rubio said that the vote threatens the peace agreement. The ceasefire is controversial among the right wing in Israel. The far-right see the deal as capitulation to Hamas while some of the other elements in the party argue that getting the remaining hostages is a successful agreement. 

The latest response from Trump to West Bank annexation is more intensified compared to his initial warning. This time Trump made clear to the Arab countries involved in the negotiations that he won’t let it happen. He also said that if Israel did annex the West Bank that they would “lose all US support”, an unprecedented threat for a modern US president to make let alone a Republican president, a member of the party that is most unanimously pro-Israel. 

Trump-Netanyahu Tensions

There were reports recently that tensions boiled over in a private phone call between Trump and Netanyahu during ceasefire talks. Netanyahu had reportedly told Trump that the Gaza proposal was “nothing to celebrate” and meaningless. Trump reportedly responded questioning why Netanyahu was “always so f***ing negative”. Trump told Netanyahu that “This is a win”. 

So many hypotheticals emerge from this scenario. How will Trump react if Israel directly causes the entire ceasefire agreement to collapse? Is the Republican Party still on the same page when it comes to Israel? Is Trump using familiar hyperbole or is he actually serious about cutting off US support? One thing that seems obvious is that Trump is aware of perception and image in this situation. He has publicly acknowledged Israel’s waning popularity among the American public. Back in March, Trump reiterated the urgency in which Israel’s military needs to “finish your war” in Gaza. He warned that if they don’t they will lose support around the world. In terms of image, he clearly has a vision of how he wants to be viewed on foreign policy. Trump wants his lasting foreign policy legacy to be that of a mediator who ends conflict around the world. 

Trump and the Obsession with Perception

At the start of Trump’s second term, Gaza and Ukraine were the two pressing foreign policy issues to be solved. Ending the War in Ukraine through a negotiated settlement between Zelenskyy and Putin has so far proven to be a dead end. If the Gaza ceasefire completely collapses, it threatens to affect Trump’s reputation as the “art of the deal” mediator and the peacemaker of the world. Trump’s tendency to lash out even at Netanyahu was seen when the Iran ceasefire was in its fragile stages, when he had his expletive filled rant to the press about Israel, and the Iranians not “knowing what the f*** they’re doing”. Don’t expect Trump to become some firebrand ally to the Palestinians, but also don’t expect him to not react with anger and even retribution when Israel threatens his reputation and perception at home.

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