Jakarta, ThedailyID — The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly exploring ways to replace Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The move comes after repeated disagreements between Washington and Jerusalem, particularly over the US-Iran peace process.
According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, senior US officials believe Netanyahu’s coalition has become too hardline. They reportedly see new political leadership as necessary to stabilize relations between the two allies.
The report said the Trump administration has begun informal contacts with Israeli opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former military chief Gadi Eisenkot.
Channel 12 also reported that opposition leaders have spent months strengthening ties with officials in Washington. Although their efforts have seen only limited success, US officials reportedly continue building informal relationships outside Netanyahu’s government.
The report added that Washington hopes to establish a new channel of trust with Israel ahead of the country’s next general election. However, Trump has not publicly endorsed any opposition candidate.
Recent polling by Israeli newspaper Maariv suggests the opposition could secure 61 parliamentary seats if an election were held today. Netanyahu’s bloc would win only 49 seats, while Arab parties could capture another 10 seats.
The reported political maneuvering comes as the United States and Iran continue technical negotiations in Switzerland to end months of conflict. Their temporary agreement calls for fighting to stop across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.
Israel has rejected the arrangement because it was excluded from the negotiations. Netanyahu and his ministers have also insisted that Israeli forces will not withdraw from southern Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese government, Israeli military operations since March 2 have killed nearly 4,000 people and injured more than 12,000 others.
