Is the US really going to throw Israel out?

Relations between Israel and the US are currently going through a lot of tension. In such a situation, many are wondering if this “special relationship” between the two countries is about to end?

It now seems inevitable to many in Israel that US President Donald Trump will reassess Washington’s relationship with Israel. This alliance has helped sustain them since the Israeli army was formed from numerous Zionist militias in 1948.

Currently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is walking a dangerous path to preserve his political existence. He is at risk of imprisonment on ongoing corruption charges. In addition, he is in danger of losing power in general elections later this year.

On the one hand, Washington’s insistence on reaching a deal with Iran that includes Lebanon, and on the other hand, the desire of the Israeli people to continue the war—all together, Netanyahu is going through the most difficult time of his four-decade political career.

Tensions between the US and Israel were reported during the previous war with Iran in June 2025. The relationship is believed to have deteriorated further a year later due to disagreements over how to deal with Tehran.

Iran has made ending the Israeli war in southern Lebanon a key condition for any final peace deal with the US, and the US and Israel are moving towards a major rift.

In a leaked phone call last month (which the White House has not denied), Trump, desperate to end the war with Iran, can be heard harshly rebuking Netanyahu for refusing to stop the attacks on Lebanon.

Trump reportedly called Netanyahu a “crazy” and accused him of ingratitude, saying that if it weren’t for his (Trump’s) intervention, Netanyahu would have been in jail for so long. Trump is alleged to have told Netanyahu, “Everybody hates you now.” That’s why everyone hates Israel.”

In an interview with Axios last week, Trump said Netanyahu “knows who’s boss.” This was essentially an admission of the tense relationship between the two leaders.

At a press conference in June, J.D. Vance claimed that Trump is the only world leader currently sympathetic to Israel. He pointedly warned Israeli ministers who were critical of a potential US-Iran deal, “Two-thirds of the defensive weapons that protect your homeland are made by Americans and bought with American taxpayer money.”

Recent polls suggest that not only is the general public in the United States turning against Israel, but there is also a growing skepticism about Israel among a segment of Trump’s right-wing populist “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement.

Hardline MAGA supporters like Marjorie Taylor Greene have been harshly critical of US support for Israel. Former television host Tucker Carlson, one of the most vocal critics of right-wing politics, said in late June that Trump has finally come to realize that Israel is the biggest threat to his administration.

Carlson began his podcast by accusing Israel of “flattering, cajoling and threatening” Trump to attack Iran as a pretext for starting another war in neighboring Lebanon.

Daniel Byman, a professor at Georgetown University in Washington and an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told Al Jazeera that while Trump traditionally leads the most pro-Israel party in US politics (the Republicans), he has other options when it comes to making decisions on Israel.

“I believe President Trump has a lot of flexibility to change his mind,” Byman said. While many Republicans are staunchly pro-Israel, the president has his own loyal base of supporters and has proven that he can win over a majority of his party. Many Democrats may also join him in this, as the party has become increasingly critical of Israel.

Few Israelis are unaware of the importance of US diplomatic and military aid to the country throughout its history. Since 2016, Israel has received $38 billion in military aid over 10 years under a memorandum of understanding, the largest ever with any other country.

US diplomatic support has also played a key role during Israel’s globally condemned “genocidal” war in Gaza. At least 72,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Washington has used its veto power on Israel’s behalf at least six times in UN debates on the issue.

Political Dependency

With the general election in Israel looming, many of Netanyahu's political opponents are exploiting the country's estrangement from the United States and its growing international isolation. Most of them, however, have supported Israel's wars in the region, which has largely contributed to the diplomatic crisis.

In mid-June, former prime minister and opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized Netanyahu for his apparent failure to keep Israel's main ally on his side.

"If we don't change this government quickly, Israel's foreign relations will be completely destroyed," he wrote in X.

Former Israeli army chief of staff Gad