Trump’s Shifting Stance Toward Netanyahu: Timeline and Reactions

Background: An Alliance Turned Sour

For most of Donald Trump’s presidency (2017–2020), he and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoyed a close and publicly warm partnership. Trump fulfilled key items on Netanyahu’s “wish-list,” including moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, and brokering normalization deals between Israel and Arab states timesofisrael.com. Netanyahu frequently praised Trump, and Trump was hugely popular in Israel for these policies. However, cracks in this once ironclad rapport emerged toward the end of Trump’s term and after he left office reuters.com.

The first major rift came after the U.S. 2020 election. Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden on his victory – a gesture of diplomatic courtesy that enraged Trump, who refused to concede. In an interview for an Israeli journalist’s book in late 2021, Trump accused Netanyahu of disloyalty for congratulating Biden, reportedly ranting “Fk him” in reference to Netanyahu axios.com. Trump said he hadn’t spoken to Netanyahu since that perceived betrayal. He also vented that by the end of his term he concluded Netanyahu “didn’t really want peace with the Palestinians” and was using Trump on the Iran issue axios.com. These remarks marked a startling break from Trump’s earlier praise of the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu, for his part, responded diplomatically. While carefully avoiding a direct confrontation, he expressed “high appreciation” for Trump’s contributions to Israel’s security but defended his congratulations to Biden as a necessary part of the U.S.-Israel alliance axios.com. The episode underscored that Trump’s shift was largely personal – rooted in feelings of betrayal – rather than based on policy substance. Still, it hinted at a new, more contentious tone from the former president toward his onetime ally.

Timeline of Key Comments and Shifts

March 2020: As president, Trump closely coordinated with Netanyahu on Middle East policy. (For example, Netanyahu stood beside Trump at the White House as Trump unveiled a Mideast peace plan in January 2020 jpost.comjpost.com.) However, behind the scenes, Trump grew frustrated that Netanyahu was reluctant to move toward a peace deal. He later claimed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas was “more eager” for peace than Netanyahu – a shocking assertion given Abbas’s poor reputation on the U.S. right jpost.comjpost.com.
Nov. 7, 2020: Multiple world leaders, including Netanyahu, congratulated President-elect Biden. Trump was furious that Netanyahu was among the first to acknowledge Biden’s win timesofisrael.comaxios.com. Trump saw this as a personal betrayal, given his steadfast support of Netanyahu. He immediately cut off contact with Netanyahu (“I haven’t spoken to him since. F**k him,” Trump said later ) axios.com.
Dec. 2021: Trump’s harsh remarks about Netanyahu became public via interviews with journalist Barak Ravid. Trump lambasted Netanyahu for disloyalty and alleged that Netanyahu never truly wanted peace. He cursed Netanyahu (“f*** him”) for the Biden call and recounted that Netanyahu “lied” about seeking Middle East peace jpost.com. Trump even praised Abbas as “like a father” figure who supposedly was more willing to deal – comments that stunned pro-Israel conservatives jpost.com. Netanyahu, then Israel’s opposition leader, responded by reiterating his appreciation for Trump but standing by his decision to congratulate the new U.S. president axios.com.
Oct. 7, 2023: Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel, killing over 1,300 Israelis and triggering a war. Instead of offering unconditional support, Trump soon criticized Netanyahu’s leadership during the crisis. He told an interviewer that Netanyahu “was not prepared” for the Hamas attack, implying Israeli leadership failure reuters.compolitico.com. At an October 11, 2023 rally in Florida, Trump went further – saying “Bibi Netanyahu let us down” by allegedly backing out last-minute from the 2020 U.S. operation to kill Iranian General Qassem Soleimani politico.com. “That was a very terrible thing,” Trump added, using Netanyahu’s nickname “Bibi” politico.com.
Oct. 11–12, 2023: In the same breath, Trump praised the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah as “very smart” – a remark widely condemned across the political spectrum reuters.compolitico.com. It is virtually unheard of for a prominent American politician, let alone one styling himself a great friend of Israel, to compliment Israel’s bitter enemies in the middle of a war. Israeli officials reacted with outrage: one minister said it was “shameful that a man like that, a former U.S. president, abets propaganda” that hurts Israel’s morale reuters.com. The White House also blasted Trump’s comments as “dangerous and unhinged” reuters.com.
Late 2023: Facing blowback, Trump attempted some damage control. He publicly reiterated his longstanding support for Israel in the war. (Reports emerged that Trump even spoke with Netanyahu by phone during the conflict, telling him “Do what you have to do” to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah washingtonpost.comwashingtonpost.com.) A Trump campaign spokesperson emphasized that under Trump there had been “historic peace in the Middle East” and that Trump would “fix the mess” created under President Biden, vowing “Israel will once again be protected” if Trump returns to office washingtonpost.com. In essence, Trump’s team insisted he remains Israel’s best friend – even as Trump personally snubs Netanyahu.

(Note: Netanyahu returned as Prime Minister at the end of 2022. Despite their personal rift, Trump did not openly oppose Netanyahu’s comeback. However, he also did not offer the fulsome praise one might have expected given their past alliance. The real fireworks in their relationship have played out in the comments above.)

U.S. Media and Analysts: Personal Vendetta or Strategy?

Trump’s turn against Netanyahu has been a source of fascination and alarm in U.S. media. Many analysts emphasize that it seems driven less by policy and more by Trump’s personal grievances. The timeline makes this clear: Trump’s anger kindled when Netanyahu acknowledged Biden’s 2020 victory, challenging Trump’s ego and false election claims axios.com. Axios noted Trump “fumed” over Netanyahu’s congratulatory video, viewing it as an act of disloyalty axios.com. This narrative of betrayal is key to understanding Trump’s shift. He prizes personal loyalty and often lashes out at former allies he feels have crossed him – in this case, Netanyahu simply honored democratic norms by accepting the U.S. election result.

Observers have pointed out that Trump’s policy toward Israel hasn’t fundamentally flipped – what changed is his tone toward one man, Netanyahu. Even as Trump touts himself as Israel’s greatest friend, his bitterness toward Netanyahu shows through. The Washington Post remarked that Trump’s recent broadsides were “unexpected” for a Republican frontrunner and deeply intertwined with Trump’s sense of being wronged by Netanyahu politico.compolitico.com. In fact, Trump’s criticisms came “out of the blue” during the Israel-Hamas war, suggesting they were pent-up grievances rather than considered policy critiques politico.com.

Some commentators see a political calculation in Trump’s behavior as well. By highlighting Netanyahu’s lapses (such as failing to anticipate the Hamas attack), Trump draws a contrast that only he, Donald Trump, can truly keep Israel safe. In Trump’s telling, Netanyahu (and by extension President Biden) showed weakness, whereas Trump would project strength. This serves Trump’s 2024 campaign narrative. However, the risk of this strategy was immediately apparent – praising Hezbollah’s savvy and knocking Israel’s leadership is politically taboo. Trump’s GOP rivals pounced on his comments, calling them “absurd” and “inhumane” politico.com. Even stalwart pro-Trump Republicans distanced themselves. “It is never acceptable to praise deranged murderers or undermine one of our closest allies in their darkest hour,” tweeted Georgia’s GOP Gov. Brian Kemp politico.com. These reactions in U.S. media underscore that Trump’s break with Netanyahu is seen as highly unusual and largely self-inflicted by Trump’s penchant for personal score-settling.

Notably, no major American political faction is urging a substantive break from Israel – so Trump’s anti-Netanyahu rhetoric stands out as a personal anomaly. As Halie Soifer, head of the Jewish Democratic Council of America, observed, this episode “shows what we critics have long warned: despite the perception Trump is an ally of Israel, Trump’s ‘America First’ foreign policy does not prioritize Israel” timesofisrael.com. In other words, when Trump’s personal or political interests diverge from Israel’s, he’s willing to deviate from the pro-Israel consensus. This viewpoint suggests Trump’s shift is less an ideological turn against Israel and more a revelation of his transactional approach – Israel is supported only insofar as it aligns with Trump’s own agenda.

Israeli Media and Reactions: Alarm and Adaptation

In Israel, Trump’s abrasive turn against Netanyahu has been met with a mix of shock, concern, and political spin. Netanyahu had long touted his close ties with Trump as a strategic asset for Israel axios.com. Now Israeli commentators are grappling with the specter of a Trump who might not be in lockstep with the Israeli government.

Israeli media across the spectrum have covered Trump’s remarks extensively. The centrist daily Yedioth Ahronoth ran a front-page headline describing Trump’s recent approach as a “policy of surprises” toward Israel timesofisrael.com. A political cartoon in that paper depicted Trump cooking up a soup for a bewildered Netanyahu – symbolizing how Netanyahu finds himself at the mercy of Trump’s whims timesofisrael.com. This reflected a growing realization in Israel that Trump, once seen as utterly reliable for Netanyahu, is now unpredictable.

Right-leaning voices have also expressed concern. Israel Hayom, a newspaper usually favorable to Netanyahu, noted a sense of “bitterness” toward Israel in Washington and asked “whether a new Middle East order is indeed forming…without Israel as an official partner” timesofisrael.com. This striking commentary (by columnist Avraham Ben-Tzvi) suggests fear that Israel could be sidelined if Trump (or the U.S.) pursues deals with regional players like Saudi Arabia or Iran without involving Jerusalem. Such worries were amplified by reports that Trump — disappointed with Netanyahu — was prepared to “make progress…without waiting for Israel” on Middle East issues like a Saudi deal timesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.com. In other words, Israeli analysts are contemplating the once-unthinkable: a U.S. leader proceeding on Mideast initiatives without coordinating with Israel’s government.

On the left, some Israeli commentators see Trump’s snub as Netanyahu reaping what he sowed. Critics of Netanyahu highlight that he tied himself so closely to Trump that Israel’s support in the U.S. became overly partisan. Now, with Trump turning against him, Netanyahu’s judgment is being questioned. A former Israeli general, Yair Golan, commented that Trump — whom Netanyahu saw as a “strategic partner” — has realized “Netanyahu isn’t an asset but a liability” timesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.com. This captures a prevailing sentiment among Netanyahu’s opponents that his personal bond with Trump has backfired. Even Thomas Friedman, a prominent New York Times columnist and frequent critic of both leaders, penned a piece titled “This Israeli Government Is Not Our Ally,” essentially congratulating Trump for apparently recognizing Netanyahu’s failures timesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.com. Friedman argued that Netanyahu put his own interests above Israel’s and the U.S.’s, undermining a potential Saudi-Israeli peace accord – hence Trump was right, in Friedman’s view, to change tack timesofisrael.com.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials have had to respond carefully. When Trump made his October 2023 comments amid the Gaza war, Netanyahu’s government publicly pushed back. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi lambasted Trump’s remarks as “shameful” and said a former U.S. president who boosts enemy propaganda “cannot be relied on” reuters.com. This is a remarkable statement, given Karhi hails from Netanyahu’s Likud party – it shows even Netanyahu’s camp felt betrayed and needed to defend Israel’s honor. (At the same time, Netanyahu himself notably did not directly confront Trump over those war comments, likely to avoid a deeper feud.) Another Likud lawmaker, Nissim Vaturi, struck a more cautious tone – he reminded Trump that “he was elected to the presidency riding on the wings of support for Israel,” a thinly veiled warning not to turn his back on the Jewish statetimesofisrael.com. (Vaturi later deleted that unusually critical tweet.) These reactions reveal Israeli officials’ balancing act: condemning Trump’s slights against their country, yet mindful of Trump’s influence over future U.S. policy.

Reactions from Trump’s Allies and Pro-Israel Figures

Trump’s anti-Netanyahu turn has also rattled some of his own allies in the U.S., especially among the evangelical Christian and Jewish Republican base that strongly supports Israel. Immediately after Trump’s “f*** Netanyahu” outburst became public in 2021, several pro-Israel evangelicals and conservatives voiced dismay. Mike Evans, a prominent evangelical leader who had been an adviser to Trump and a long-time Netanyahu supporter, wrote an open letter to Trump warning him that “Benjamin Netanyahu has much greater support among evangelicals in America than you” jpost.comjpost.com. Evans bluntly cautioned Trump that attacking Netanyahu could be a “game-changer” that alienates Trump’s Christian Zionist base jpost.com. This was a striking rebuke from an erstwhile ally. Similarly, Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America and typically a strong Trump backer, said it was “wrong and even absurd” for Trump to praise Palestinian leader Abbas and blame Netanyahu, calling Trump’s behavior “more than disappointing” jpost.comjpost.com. Klein lamented that Trump’s words “reinforce people’s feelings that Trump has a serious personality problem” jpost.com. Such criticism from staunch pro-Israel advocates showed how Trump’s personal vendetta was troubling even to his friends.

That said, many in Trump’s orbit have tried to downplay the feud. Some evangelical and Jewish Republican figures argued that whatever Trump says in anger, his actual record of pro-Israel actions speaks louder. The influential group Christians United for Israel signaled that evangelical support for Israel “transcends politics and personalities,” implying Trump’s spat with Netanyahu wouldn’t diminish their support for pro-Israel policies jpost.com. Republican Jewish donors and insiders largely stuck with Trump, noting that he delivered on Israel’s core issues in office (Jerusalem, Golan, Iran, etc.) jpost.com. In their eyes, Trump’s irritable comments were an unfortunate outburst but not a deal-breaker. This pragmatic view – focusing on policy results over rhetoric – likely helped limit any immediate political fallout for Trump among GOP voters.

Indeed, by the time Trump entered the 2024 presidential race, the Netanyahu issue had not significantly dented his standing in Republican polls. When Trump’s October 2023 Hezbollah remarks drew fire, most Republican officials condemned the content of the comments but stopped short of abandoning Trump himself. For example, Senator Lindsey Graham – ordinarily a close Trump ally and fierce Israel defender – expressed disapproval by saying voters would judge Trump’s words, while reaffirming that he (Graham) still expects strong U.S. support for Israel regardless politico.compolitico.com. Other allies like House GOP members simply stayed quiet, not amplifying Trump’s attack on Netanyahu. This cautious response suggests that Trump’s allies see his Netanyahu-bashing as a bug, not a feature – an impulsive episode they need to manage or ignore, rather than a new principle they endorse.

Substantive Rift or Political Strategy?

The big question is whether Trump’s break with Netanyahu represents a genuine substantive shift in his Middle East outlook, or merely a transient political strategy (or even personal pique). Evidence suggests it is largely the latter. Trump has not renounced his core pro-Israel policies or the U.S.-Israel alliance. In fact, he continues to boast of being Israel’s best friend and insists he would protect Israel’s security more robustly than the current U.S. administration washingtonpost.com. There is no indication that Trump has adopted positions favorable to Israel’s adversaries in any sustained way – his Hezbollah comment, while shocking, appears to have been off-the-cuff praise of an enemy’s cunning rather than endorsement of their cause. The substance of Trump’s policy positions (support for tough action against Iran, support for moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, etc.) remains unchanged and in line with right-wing pro-Israel thinking.

What has changed is Trump’s willingness to publicly split with Israel’s leader for personal reasons. This can have policy implications if Trump returns to power – for example, he might be less inclined to consult or coordinate with a Netanyahu-led government that he mistrusts. As one Israeli analyst put it, “the main expression” of the current bitterness is an American tendency to “advance along routes that bypass Jerusalem” timesofisrael.com. In practice, that could mean a more unilateral U.S. approach to Middle East initiatives, without the previous deference to Israel’s positions. This shift is not born of a new ideological agenda against Israel, but from Trump’s “America First”, transactional instinct: he supports Israel when it aligns with U.S. interests (and his interests), but he won’t sacrifice his political aims for the sake of personal friendship or Israeli preferences timesofisrael.com.

Several commentators note that Trump’s attitude is actually consistent with his worldview. Michael Koplow of the Israel Policy Forum observed that Trump will happily “give Israel all of the support it wants, provided that it doesn’t cost too much and doesn’t require tradeoffs elsewhere” timesofisrael.com. In other words, Trump’s backing comes with conditions – if Israel’s needs conflict with Trump’s plans (or if its leader offends him), Trump may choose to distance himself. This looks more like a strategic calculus (albeit one driven by ego) than a wholesale policy reversal. It suggests Trump is making a political bet that he can both maintain a pro-Israel record and pressure Netanyahu (or any Israeli government) to fall in line with his preferences. For example, by withholding the warmth he once showed, Trump may be signaling to Netanyahu that Israel should “do more” (whether in confronting Iran, or being more compliant with Trump’s ideas) to earn U.S. favor. Some in Israel interpret Trump’s stance as effectively telling Jerusalem: if you insist on a course I don’t like (such as how Netanyahu handles Gaza or hesitates on a Saudi deal), then go ahead, but without me timesofisrael.com.

In sum, Trump’s recent anti-Netanyahu rhetoric appears politically strategic and highly personal, rather than a true change in U.S. policy toward Israel. He has not turned “anti-Israel” – he has turned against Netanyahu himself. The shift is mostly in style and relationship, not in strategic objectives. Trump still seeks credit as a peacemaker and tough-on-Iran leader, but he is also ensuring everyone knows he felt betrayed by Netanyahu. It is a reminder that Trump’s foreign policy can be erratic and driven by personal loyalty tests. As the White House deputy press secretary quipped amid the Hezbollah controversy, it’s baffling for any American leader to praise an Iran-backed terror group as “smart”reuters.com – the implication being that Trump’s comments were driven by his own grudges, not U.S. interests.

Conclusion

Donald Trump’s recent broadsides against Benjamin Netanyahu mark a remarkable departure from their once-chummy alliance. The rift unfolded in stages – from Trump’s fury at Netanyahu’s congratulations to Biden in 2020, to his 2021 “f* him**” eruption, to the 2023 war-time critiques of Netanyahu being unprepared and disloyal. U.S. and Israeli observers largely interpret these moves as a product of Trump’s personality and political calculations. American media emphasize the personal vendetta and see little sign of a principled policy shift away from supporting Israel axios.comtimesofisrael.com. In Israel, there is anxiety that Trump’s ire toward Netanyahu could translate into less coordination or more surprises, but also an understanding that Israel cannot put all its faith in one man’s favor timesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.com.

So far, the change appears more symbolic and strategic than substantive. Trump seems to be testing how far he can go in separating his brand from Netanyahu’s without alienating the pro-Israel base. The episode illustrates Trump’s unique approach: he intertwines personal loyalty with international alliances. Netanyahu, famously nicknamed “King Bibi” at home, now finds himself in the unusual position of being on the receiving end of Trump’s barbs. Whether this feud is temporary or lasting may depend on political expediency. Should circumstances align (for instance, a common interest in confronting Iran or clinching a grand diplomatic deal), Trump could well embrace Netanyahu again – but on Trump’s terms. Until then, the once ironclad Trump-Netanyahu partnership has clearly frayed, serving as a case study in how international relationships can hinge on individual whims and perceived slights as much as on national interestsreuters.compolitico.com.

Sources:

Axios – Netanyahu responds to Trump’s “F**k him” remarkaxios.comaxios.com
Reuters – Israel, White House condemn Trump for ‘smart’ Hezbollah remarksreuters.comreuters.com
Reuters – Trump-Netanyahu relationship sours (context of Biden call)reuters.comreuters.com
Politico – Republicans slam Trump’s comments on Netanyahu and Hezbollahpolitico.compolitico.com
Jerusalem Post – Will Trump’s ‘f** Netanyahu’ moment hurt him?* (Mike Evans letter, ZOA reaction)jpost.comjpost.com
Times of Israel – ‘Honey, he’s had enough of you’ – analysis of Trump sidelining Israeltimesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.com
Times of Israel – Report: Trump ‘disappointed’ with Netanyahu (Israel Hayom report)timesofisrael.comtimesofisrael.com
Washington Post – Trump faults Netanyahu amid Israel warpolitico.compolitico.com (via Politico)