We do not know what leverage Israel holds over the United States. Still, whenever the U.S. attempts to take a step forward on any issue, Israel directly undermines it and continues doing precisely what it has been told not to do.
When the Gaza war began, Israel escalated its actions to excessive levels – one of the most egregious examples being the bombing of a hospital, killing patients, infants, doctors and medical staff. The world reacted with outrage, including former U.S. President Joe Biden's administration.
Israel’s response? Instead of heeding warnings, it immediately bombed an ancient church.
Despite U.S. warnings against an invasion of Rafah, Israel escalated its campaign, not only proceeding with the offensive but also assassinating multiple Hezbollah leaders in Beirut.
Then, as global public opinion turned against Israel, with open accusations of genocide, International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutions, and threats of arrests for Israeli officials in some European countries, Israel launched attacks, sometimes on Iran, sometimes on Beirut.
And just when Israel faced its most significant international pressure, it assassinated Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Iranian soil, in the heart of Iran.
Previously, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu played with Biden like a cat with a mouse. Then, blurring the lines between friend and foe, he began doing the same with U.S. President Donald Trump.
As the Madleen ship, carrying activists from around the world to break the siege on Gaza, approached Israel’s borders — and as protests against Israel intensified in European capitals, the U.S. and globally — Israel attacked Iran, diverting the world’s attention away from Gaza once again.
Later, when the issue of Israeli aggression resurfaced, and Trump attempted to broker a peace deal — repeatedly promising "peace this week, peace next week" — Israel suddenly attacked Syria.
Though Trump may have allowed Iran to strike Israel slightly, before mediating a de-escalation, the real reason the conflict paused was Iran’s successful retaliation, hitting Israeli targets.
Netanyahu is not just occupying Beirut, Syria or Gaza — he is also exposing the weakness of the U.S. as a global power.
Since its founding by the revolutionary government, the U.S. has advocated for a stable, unified Syria, supporting its territorial integrity and even aligning with Türkiye’s stance. Yet Netanyahu, disregarding both Trump and U.S. Ambassador to Türkiye and Syria advisor Tom Barrack, incited the Druze and launched a direct attack on Damascus.
Israel's excessive acts of aggression are also undermining the U.S. policy of fostering relations between Israel and Muslim countries, a strategy Washington has been pursuing in the region for some time.
U.S. foreign policy has a certain cautiousness. It strives to avoid pitting Türkiye and Israel against each other. Yet Netanyahu appears to be directly attacking Washington’s strategy. There is no indication of where this recklessness will stop.
Netanyahu is not only declaring that Muslim nations, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Egypt or Saudi Arabia, are disregarded and disrespected by Israel, but he is also proving that the peace efforts of Western nations are futile. He is forcing the world to see that the U.S., in some ways, is nothing more than a plaything in Israel’s hands.
