When US President Donald Trump returned to the Middle East this week, he made high-profile stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but pointedly skipped Israel. The omission drew notice, especially given Trump’s long-standing reputation as one of Israel’s staunchest allies and his once close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Trump’s campaign has insisted the absence was not a deliberate snub. But the Washington Post reported that the two leaders are no longer in direct contact, with one former US official noting that “Trump doesn’t see the value in dealing with him anymore.” 

The symbolic slight, denial notwithstanding, reflects a deeper political reality: Netanyahu’s growing isolation, even among traditional allies. Once seen as a fixture of regional power and a key US partner, Netanyahu now stands increasingly alone, a consequence of his relentless war strategy in Gaza and his defiance of mounting domestic and international pressure.

Over the past twenty months, the Israeli government has steadily intensified its war in Gaza - beginning with a full-scale invasion of northern Gaza in October 2023, moving to Khan Yunis by December, then Rafah in May 2024, before returning north in October and re-engaging Rafah and other areas in March 2025. More than 52,000 people have been killed in the process, two-thirds of them women and children.

Netanyahu has remained the central figure in directing this military assault, widely described as genocidal by international observers. His “total victory” strategy has continued with unwavering defiance, despite mounting condemnation and pressure at home and abroad.

Calls from key allies, including the United States, have been largely ignored or bypassed. International court rulings have failed to alter his course. Even dissent from within Israel’s military and intelligence leadership has had little impact; Netanyahu has often overridden their advice or openly clashed with them.

Internal dissent ignored

As the war drags on, cracks have started to appear within Israel’s military establishment. In May 2024, then-IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi described the situation in Gaza as “endless” criticising Netanyahu for lacking a clear and coherent strategy.

A month later, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari publicly questioned the feasibility of eradicating Hamas, signalling continued tensions between Netanyahu and top defence officials. “This business of destroying Hamas, making Hamas disappear - it’s simply throwing sand in the eyes of the public,” he said. Netanyahu dismissed these warnings and pressed ahead with his approach of “total victory”.

He also disregarded Israeli public opinion. During the January ceasefire, support for a negotiated end to the war surged, with 69 percent of Israelis backing a deal to release the hostages, while only 21 percent opposed. Nevertheless, Netanyahu resumed bombing Gaza on March 19. The following month, nearly 1,000 Israeli Air Force veterans signed an open letter demanding the hostages’ return, even if it meant halting the fighting. Similar appeals came from academics, doctors, former ambassadors, students, and tech leaders. Again, Netanyahu ignored them.

Halevi’s successor, IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, recently warned ministers that launching a major new operation could jeopardise the hostages’ lives. “The war’s two goals of defeating Hamas and rescuing the hostages are problematic in relation to each other,” he told ministers. 

Netanyahu remained unmoved. Instead, he declared that “victory” over Hamas - not the return of the hostages - was the supreme objective of the war. In early May, his government approved a new mobilisation of reservists and expanded its offensive, including plans for the forced displacement of civilians from northern Gaza.

Netanyahu’s defiance has extended well beyond Israel. In April 2024, then-US President Joe Biden warned Israel against a full-scale invasion of Rafah, threatening to halt arms shipments if it proceeded. Netanyahu ignored the warning and moved ahead, ultimately leveling the city. Six months later, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him over alleged war crimes. His response: “We will continue to do everything we must do.”

Then there’s Trump. Ahead of this week’s Middle East trip, the US president had expressed hope for progress in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Instead, Netanyahu doubled down: his government advanced a plan to reoccupy all of Gaza, flatten any remaining buildings, and forcibly displace the surviving Palestinian population into a single “humanitarian area.”

While Trump’s campaign insists the omission of Israel during the visit was not intentional, the broader pattern tells a different story. The two leaders reportedly no longer speak directly. Trump’s Defense Secretary cancelled a scheduled visit to Israel, and the US ambassador publicly stated that Washington is under no obligation to coordinate regional decisions with the Israeli government. The diplomatic distance, however politely framed, underscores Netanyahu’s growing isolation, even among those once most aligned with him.

Though Trump’s campaign has denied that skipping Israel was a deliberate snub, the broader pattern tells a different story. The two leaders reportedly no longer speak directly. Trump’s Defense Secretary cancelled a planned visit to Israel, and the US ambassador publicly stated that Washington is under no obligation to coordinate regional decisions with the Israeli government. 

Still, Netanyahu has remained defiantly unmoved. “Israel will defend itself alone if necessary,” he declared. His Defense Minister, Israel Katz, echoed the stance, signaling a willingness to confront regional threats without US backing, and regardless of US patience.

The cost of defiance

Netanyahu’s history of defiance has come at a steep cost. His strategy has prolonged the war well beyond the bounds of Israel’s traditional doctrine of swift conflicts.

More than ten countries downgraded ties with Israel, while others - including Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway - have formally recognised the State of Palestine. France has signalled it may follow. Israel’s global standing has deteriorated, including among key segments of US public opinion. Legal consequences have mounted as well, with genocide charges filed at the International Court of Justice and ongoing war crimes investigations at the ICC.

Domestically, the economic toll is mounting. Credit ratings have slipped, construction is stalled, and tourism has declined. Emigration surged by 285 percent in 2024, with nearly a quarter of Israelis considering leaving the country due to rising insecurity, turning Israel,  ironically, into one of the most dangerous places for its own citizens.

As pressure intensifies, the question is no longer whether Netanyahu’s strategy can succeed. It is whether the pursuit of “total victory” has already inflicted irreversible damage on the very state he claims to protect.  

Israeli journalist Ben Caspit recently posed the question, “What’s the problem with absolute victory?” and answered it himself: “No problem, except for the fact that there is no such thing. It does not exist. Illusion. Delusion.” Former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon echoed the same sentiment in July, insisting that there is no military solution for defeating Hamas. The only viable path forward, he argued, is to offer a better idea for both Israelis and Palestinians.

But Netanyahu, bound by politics and the psychology of defiance, is not seeking better ideas. His strategy has locked Israel into an unending cycle of escalation with mounting costs.

This trajectory might change only if Israelis choose new leadership with a more sober grasp of reality - or more realistically, if sustained US pressure finally overrides Netanyahu’s impulses. Until then, Israel’s deepening crisis in Gaza appears far from over.