President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign promises to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and support Israel’s destruction of Hamas are faltering, selling out Israel and alienating his pro-Israel voter base.
By conceding on military pressure against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Trump places the onus on Israel to defy his stated policy through unilateral strikes or sabotage, risking global condemnation in a world where U.S. policy misaligns with actors like Qatar and Iran.
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| President Donald Trump's incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at a Trump campaign rally at Madison Square Garden, New York, October 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci); Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a government meeting in Nahariya on December 3, 2024. (Maayan Toaf/GPO); Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani attends a meeting in Egypt's new administrative capital on November 27, 2024. (Khaled Desouki/AFP/ Times of Israel) |
A $5.5 billion Trump-branded golf resort deal in Qatar, tied to envoy Steve Witkoff’s $623 million Qatari connections, fuels ethical concerns amid a collapsed Gaza ceasefire.
A U.S. ceasefire with Iran-backed Houthis, wielding suspected hypersonic missiles, fails to halt their attacks on Israel, emboldening proxies like Hamas, which intensifies Israel’s ground war in Gaza as a by-product.
As Chinese President Xi Jinping aligns with Vladimir Putin, bolstering Iran through CCP-backed conflicts, Trump’s potential restraint of Israel against Iran and Hamas undermines Israel’s security in increasing U.S. policy alignment with Qatar and Iran.
Gaza Ceasefire Collapses, Ground War as By-Product
Trump pledged to eliminate Hamas, responsible for the October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 and took 251 hostages. A January 15, 2025, ceasefire, brokered by Qatar and Egypt with Witkoff, forced the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to withdraw from Gaza strongholds, exchanging 33 hostages (eight believed dead) for 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, many terrorism-linked (Israel National News). It collapsed on March 18, 2025, with Operation Might and Sword targeting Hamas’s regrouping (Times of Israel).
On May 4, Israel launched Operation Gideon’s Chariots to seize Gaza, displace 2.3 million residents to a southern “secure zone,” and free 59 hostages. The IDF mobilized approximately 60,000 reservists to bolster three divisions and secure fronts like Lebanon (The Jerusalem Post, May 5). Far-right leaders like Bezalel Smotrich demand permanent occupation (Israel Hayom). A nine-week aid blockade and ground operations, a by-product of Iran’s emboldened proxies like Hamas, have led to 87 IDF casualties since March (Israel National News). Hostage families fear for captives’ safety (Times of Israel).
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| Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and the US president's son, looks over the proposed plan ahead of the signing ceremony with Qatar's Diar and Dar Global in Doha on April 30, 2025. (Karim Jaafar/AFP/Times of Israel) |
Qatar’s Influence and Ethical Concerns
The $5.5 billion Simaisma golf resort deal, announced April 30, 2025, with Qatar’s Qatari Diar and Saudi-backed Dar Global, features an 18-hole golf course, 3,600 villas, 3,000 apartments, a 400-room hotel, and a waterfront promenade (Trump Organization press release).
Eric Trump praised it, but Witkoff’s $623 million Qatari ties from a 2016 hotel sale raise conflict-of-interest concerns, given Qatar’s Hamas mediation role (Israel Hayom). X posts criticize: “Trump profits from Qatar while Israel fights” (
@TimesofIsrael
, May 2). This deal highlights U.S. policy misalignment, favoring Gulf interests over Israel’s security (America First Policy Institute, April 28).Iran Concession: Forcing Israel’s Nuclear Defiance
Trump’s pledge to “defang” Iran’s nuclear program, a cornerstone of his pro-Israel stance, has been abandoned. After exiting the 2015 nuclear deal, he now tolerates 3.67% uranium enrichment, per Witkoff’s Oman talks (Washington Times, April). This concession, forsaking military threats, forces Israel to defy Trump’s stated policy by planning unilateral strikes or sabotage against Iran’s nuclear facilities, risking global demonization (Israel National News, May 7). Israel’s potential operations—precision airstrikes or covert sabotage—face Iran’s fortified defenses, including underground sites like Natanz, per Israel Hayom. The America First Policy Institute (April 28) warns such action could isolate Israel, with U.S. policy misaligned toward actors like Iran and Qatar, undermining Israel’s security (Newsweek, January 12). This sell-out emboldens Iran’s proxies, fueling Hamas’s Gaza resilience as a by-product.
The concession’s drivers include:
- Practical Strategy: Trump prioritizes Gulf deals like Simaisma to avoid Middle East conflicts, per X posts noting his Qatar focus.
- Deep-State Influence: State Department diplomats push Iran engagement to counter China, aligning with Witkoff’s diplomacy (Israel Hayom; Modern Diplomacy, February 15).
- Isolationist Voices: Tucker Carlson’s “America First” rhetoric, critiquing Israel aid on Fox, influences Trump’s base, urging U.S. disengagement (Washington Times).
Houthi Ceasefire and Hypersonic Missiles
On May 6, 2025, Trump halted U.S. bombings of Iran-backed Houthis, claiming they “capitulated,” but failed to require them to stop attacking Israel (Washington Times). The Houthis, targeting Red Sea shipping and Israel, likely use hypersonic missiles supplied by Iran, with speculation of Chinese technology transfers given Beijing’s ties to Tehran (Israel National News, May 7). This ceasefire exposes Israel, with X posts decrying: “Trump’s Houthi deal empowers Iran’s proxies” (@Juliana_Ahavah, May 7). It strengthens Hamas in Gaza, a by-product of Iran’s unchecked influence (Newsweek, January 12).
Global Tensions: China, Russia, and CCP Allies
As Chinese President Xi Jinping aligns with Vladimir Putin, bolstering Iran through CCP-backed conflicts, Trump’s potential restraint of Israel against Iran and Hamas aligns U.S. policy with actors like Qatar and Iran, undermining Israel’s security. Xi’s May 6, 2025, meeting with Putin coincides with Pakistan’s clashes with India and North Korea’s missile launches into the Sea of Japan on May 5, 2025 (Wall Street Journal). China’s potential role in Houthi missile supplies underscores its support for Iran (Israel National News). Trump’s Gulf focus ignores these threats, leaving Israel to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions and proxies alone.
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| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, left, speaks alongside US President Donald Trump during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on April 7, 2025. (Kevin Dietsch / Getty Images via Times of Israel) |
Restraining Israel: A Double Challenge
Will Trump restrain Israel from striking Iran’s nuclear program and neutralizing Hamas? His administration avoids supporting an Iran strike, with Witkoff prioritizing Gulf alliances (Wall Street Journal; Modern Diplomacy, February 15, 2025). Unilateral Israeli action—strikes or sabotage—risks retaliation and global condemnation, per Israel National News. In Gaza, Witkoff’s hostage deal may preserve Hamas as a Qatar-backed partner, pressuring Israel to scale back Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a by-product of Iran’s proxies (America First Policy Institute, April 28). The Houthi ceasefire suggests Trump may limit Israel’s actions to protect diplomatic gains (Israel Hayom). Such restraint could demonize Israel, further misaligning U.S. policy with Qatar and Iran (Newsweek, January 12).
Voter Base Disillusionment
Trump’s pro-Israel voters, especially evangelicals, face disillusionment. The Simaisma deal, Houthi ceasefire, and Iran nuclear concession prioritize Gulf profits over Israel’s security, forcing Israel to defy Trump’s policy. X posts reflect frustration: “Trump promised to crush Iran, but he’s enabling Hamas and Houthis” (
@TimesofIsrael
, May 2). The America First Policy Institute (April 28) notes evangelical fears that Trump’s “America First” rhetoric, amplified by Carlson, abandons Israel. Forcing Israel to act alone against Iran fractures the U.S.-Israel alliance (Washington Times).Can Trump Regain Trust?
As Israel battles Hamas with 60,000 reservists in Gaza, a by-product of Iran’s proxies, and prepares to defy Trump by targeting Iran’s nuclear program, his credibility falters. Witkoff’s Qatari ties and Simaisma profits expose conflicts of interest. Trump’s concession on Iran’s nuclear threat isolates Israel in a misaligned world. Amid Xi’s Putin alliance and CCP-backed conflicts, Trump’s restraint of Israel undermines his voter base and the U.S.-Israel alliance.
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