Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is concerned about signals from US President-elect Donald Trump, particularly regarding Iran and the West Bank, political sources in Tel Aviv said.
The sources indicated Trump is seeking a nuclear deal with Tehran rather than a military strike and appears unsupportive of any Israeli move to annex the West Bank.
Trump’s aim, the sources added, is to send a clear message to Iran that both military and diplomatic options remain on the table to address its nuclear threat.
He is also leveraging the possibility of an Israeli attack as a means of pressure.
Trump is reluctant to go to war with Iran and does not see the need to completely destroy its nuclear facilities, a goal Israel cannot achieve alone, political sources said.
The US President-elect favors a major Israeli strike supported by the United States from a distance rather than a large-scale joint military operation, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is pushing for.
Israeli broadcaster i24NEWS reported that Trump told Netanyahu he would address Iran’s nuclear program but opposed Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.
The report added that Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s comment that “2025 will be the year of annexation” drew criticism from Republican Party sources, who warned that annexation would harm Israel’s international standing.
Israeli media said Trump and Netanyahu held talks on Saturday, while Netanyahu’s envoy, Adam Boehler, held meetings in Israel to discuss key issues.
Israeli analysts said on Monday that Netanyahu is unlikely to order a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, citing domestic divisions over judicial reforms and a lack of clear support from Trump.
They noted Iran has not yet decided to build a nuclear weapon, reducing the urgency for military action.
Nahum Barnea, a columnist for Yedioth Ahronoth, said regional developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza, along with changes in US leadership, have created a rare opportunity to strike Iran.
“Iran’s air defenses are weaker, flight paths are open, and the threat of an Iranian counterattack has diminished,” Barnea wrote.
Still, he said Netanyahu remains hesitant, recalling how the prime minister abandoned a similar plan in 2011 and blamed Israeli security officials and the Obama administration for the retreat.
