Trump Administration Reportedly Contacts Israeli Opposition Amid Netanyahu Rift

President Donald Trump’s administration is reportedly engaging with Israel’s opposition, following speculation about a possible change in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government amid increasing disputes between Washington and Tel Aviv. According to Israel’s Channel 12, US officials believe Netanyahu’s government may be replaced, prompting informal contact with opposition leaders. Those contacted include former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, now chairman of the Together Party, and Gadi Eisenkot, chairman of the Yashar Party. The US administration has expressed concern about hardline factions within Netanyahu’s coalition and is seeking to build a new base of popular support ahead of elections. Channel 12 reported that the Israeli opposition has been trying to establish ties with the Trump administration for several months, achieving limited success with officials critical of Netanyahu’s policies. The American move aims to exploit political opportunities given the crisis of confidence with the current Israeli government. Washington sees a need to build new informal trust mechanisms with Israel, although Trump himself has not endorsed any other Israeli politicians. A poll published by the Maariv newspaper indicated that the opposition could form a new government if elections were held today, predicted to win 61 seats in the Knesset against 49 for Netanyahu’s coalition. The poll also forecast that Arab parties would secure 10 seats in the upcoming election scheduled for October. Netanyahu’s governing coalition, in power since December 2022, consists of five parties: Likud, Shas, Otzma Yehudit, the Religious Zionist Party, and New Hope. It is widely described as the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. Likud, led by Netanyahu, is the largest party and the backbone of the coalition. Shas is an ultra-Orthodox Haredi party. Otzma Yehudit, meaning Jewish Power, is a far-right ultranationalist and anti-Arab party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has been convicted of inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organisation. He serves as Minister of National Security. The Religious Zionist Party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is an extreme right-wing, ultranationalist, Jewish supremacist party. Smotrich, a settler in the West Bank, has openly called for Israel to annex the territory and oversees the Civil Administration that approves settlement construction.