Relations between the United States and Israel are at an unprecedented low after President Donald Trump signed an interim agreement with Iran, sparking a firestorm of criticism from the Israeli public and political establishment. Major Israeli newspapers have published scathing editorials accusing the longtime U.S. ally of betrayal.
An editorial in Israel Hayom, a newspaper owned by billionaire Miriam Adelson, a staunch Trump supporter, was headlined "You Could Have Been the Greatest President of All Time, But You Failed." It called the Iran deal "a surrender agreement to a brutal and cruel terror regime" and said Trump had brought "humiliation" upon America. The piece also mocked the smile of former President Barack Obama, who signed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Trump scrapped three years later.
Professor Hagai Ram of Ben-Gurion University, author of the book "Iranophobia: The Logic of an Israeli Obsession," said: "Trump was the most beloved figure in Israel, but now he has become the villain." He attributed the backlash to an "Iran obsession" and a feeling of "a comprehensive American betrayal of Israel." A Channel 12 TV poll on June 18 found only 11% of Israelis believed their country "won" the U.S.-Israel campaign against Iran launched in late February, while 71% no longer trusted the Trump administration to protect Israeli interests in negotiations with Iran.
The deal demands an immediate end to all hostilities, including the offensive against Lebanon that began in early March. Both sides must also respect the "territorial integrity of Lebanon," about one-fifth of which Israel currently occupies. Israel was not directly involved in the negotiations. While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment officially, ongoing Israeli strikes on Lebanon suggest he does not consider himself bound by the agreement. Hardline ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir have openly condemned it. Ben-Gvir posted on social media platform X: "All of Lebanon must burn," a post later restricted for violating terms of service.
The U.S. has also reacted sharply to Israeli criticism. Vice President JD Vance warned: "If I were a member of Israel's cabinet, I would not attack my only remaining powerful ally." Political analyst Ori Goldberg described the situation as a "rift" rather than ordinary squabbling. Tensions escalated further when Iran reimposed a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz following Israeli strikes on Lebanon on June 20, threatening the global economy.
