Israel is watching with great interest the recent statements of the American president about reaching a memorandum of understanding with Iran , which may be signed within days in Europe, stipulating a cessation of hostilities, while circles doubt the likelihood of its implementation based on past experiences.
In contrast to Trump’s claim that Israel agreed to these understandings, the American website “Axios” confirms that it was surprised by Trump’s statement after it had been preparing to renew the war, adding: “Netanyahu had no prior notice, and was surprised by Trump’s statement.”
Officially, a statement issued by Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister clarified that Israel is not a party to the memorandum of understanding being formed between the United States and Iran, but expressed his appreciation for Trump’s commitment that the final agreement should include the removal of enriched uranium from Iran and the cessation of support for “terrorist organizations.”
This is official, but according to leaks in Hebrew media, the ruling establishment in Israel doubts Trump’s successive statements about a possible or imminent agreement with Iran, and deals with them with suspicion, especially after his previous statement threatened that he was going to launch a strong military strike.
The Israeli establishment is skeptical of Trump's repeated statements about a possible or imminent agreement with Iran, and treats them with suspicion.
These leaks also say that the security establishment is concerned about such a rapid US-Iranian understanding, because it would reduce freedom of action against Iran and its proxies, putting Israel in a dilemma: Should it respond independently and expose itself to a crisis with the White House, or refrain from doing so and thus enable Iran to build a new equation?
For his part, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz said that the battle with Iran is far from over, and that the army is ready to continue its attacks in Iran forcefully, if no agreement is reached or if the threats continue.
Harsh political repercussions
This Israeli concern is expressed by former Navy Commander, Reserve General Eliezer Marom, who says the agreement is bad for Israel because it feeds Iran oxygen, revives it, and strengthens its power and the power of its proxies in the region through billions of dollars.
He continues: “If the agreement is signed, the Middle East will be different, and the countries of the region will quickly identify which country is threatening and allied with a greater power. Not only will the agreement prevent countries from joining the Abraham Accords, but it will also prevent those already within its framework. After the signing of such an agreement, we will find ourselves compelled to take a defensive step and attack Iran militarily to prevent it from acquiring a large quantity of ballistic missiles.”
He added: “I heard and understood that Trump spoke yesterday only about nuclear weapons. He didn’t even mention the Strait of Hormuz, and of course, he didn’t mention ballistic missiles or support for proxies in the region. The agreement gives Hezbollah a lifeline and grants Iran enormous economic power through oil exports, bringing in about six billion dollars a month. All this support for the regime will push us toward a confrontation between Israel and Iran very soon, without the support of the United States and other countries in the region, which will initiate a new course in their relations with the surrounding countries.”
dangerous missiles
In response to a question, he said that the agreement is very important with regard to the nuclear issue, but it is not enough. Ballistic missiles are very dangerous, although they do not pose an existential threat, but imagine if Iran sent a hundred missiles here all at once.
He added: “On April 14, 2024, Iran decided for the first time to adopt a new strategy by directly targeting us with drones and missiles instead of relying on proxies. Today we are in a different scenario in light of Iran’s current and future success in acquiring more dangerous missiles in terms of quantity and quality.”
Commenting on a report that a neighboring country had informed Israel of its refusal to allow Israel to use its sovereign airspace in any attack against Iran, he said he was not upset by the leak about a neighboring Arab country objecting to passage through its airspace, “We know how to do it, and there are enough air corridors. This is not a drama.”
For his part, Amos Harel, the military analyst for the Haaretz newspaper, believes that Trump is wavering between threats to Iran and statements about an imminent agreement, considering that, based on past experiencesthings remain as they are.
He continues: “If there is anyone pushing Trump towards renewing the war, it will be precisely because he is bored with it,” explaining that the Israeli army is not close to resolving the confrontation with Hezbollah, and practically is not aiming towards that.
It is noted that Israel has long expressed concern about the possibility of an understanding between the United States and Iran, especially if it is far from its vision and conditions regarding nuclear weapons, missiles, and proxies, and it fears that Tehran will benefit from large financial resources that will revitalize and strengthen it.
Based on statements and leaks, Israeli politicians still prefer war again or continuing the siege and strangulation until the regime in Iran falls.
