US reportedly contacts Israeli opposition, seeking Netanyahu replacement

The US government is reportedly communicating with the Israeli opposition amid the possibility of a change in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, following widening differences between the United States and Israel. Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Sunday that officials in President Donald Trump’s administration believe Netanyahu’s government could potentially be replaced. As a result, the US has begun informal contacts with opposition figures such as Naftali Bennett, leader of the Together Party, and Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar Party, according to the report. “The US administration has expressed concern about hardline groups within Netanyahu’s government and is seeking to build a new base of public support ahead of elections,” Channel 12 stated. The report also noted that the Israeli opposition has been trying to build relations with the US administration in recent months, but has only achieved limited results among officials critical of Netanyahu’s policies. “The American move aims to exploit a political opportunity amid a crisis of confidence in the current Israeli government,” the report said. The US views the need to establish a “new informal trust mechanism” with Israel, although Trump has not yet given his backing to any other Israeli political figure. Surveys also indicate that Arab parties could potentially win 10 seats in the elections scheduled for October. The report emerged as the US and Iran held negotiations in Switzerland mediated by Pakistan to end the military conflict triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. A provisional agreement calls for a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. However, the Israeli government has refused to link the Iran issue with Lebanon. Netanyahu has stressed that Israel will not withdraw from areas it occupies in southern Lebanon. According to official Lebanese data, Israeli attacks since 2 March have killed nearly 4,000 people and wounded more than 12,000 others.