The administration of President Donald Trump has reportedly begun establishing informal lines of communication with several Israeli opposition figures, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, according to Israeli media reports cited by Anadolu.
Channel 12 reported that the outreach reflects assessments within Washington that Israel could see a change in government following upcoming elections, prompting U.S. officials to engage with individuals viewed as potential successors to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The reporting suggests the effort is aimed at broadening political channels ahead of any possible transition in leadership.
“The U.S. administration has expressed concerns over hardline elements within Netanyahu’s government and is seeking to build a new support base ahead of elections,” the report said, according to Anadolu. It added that the move is intended to capitalize on what officials see as growing political uncertainty and a potential loss of public confidence in the current Israeli leadership.
The reported contacts come amid increasingly strained relations between the Trump administration and Netanyahu’s cabinet, with disagreements emerging over diplomatic strategy and regional policy. U.S. officials are said to have grown frustrated with what they view as obstacles to advancing shared diplomatic initiatives.
Concerns have also been raised in Washington over the influence of far-right ministers within Netanyahu’s governing coalition, as well as the international reputational impact of Israel’s conduct in the Gaza conflict. According to the reports, these factors have contributed to growing irritation within parts of the U.S. administration.
Despite the outreach, the reports emphasized that Trump has not endorsed any specific Israeli political figure as a replacement for Netanyahu. Instead, officials are described as seeking to establish what they called a “new informal trust mechanism” with a broader range of Israeli political actors.
Tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv have also surfaced over policy differences related to Iran and Lebanon, with both governments diverging on the scope and sequencing of regional security priorities.
The reporting comes as the United States and Iran continue negotiations in Switzerland, mediated by Pakistan, aimed at de-escalating military tensions following earlier strikes involving U.S. and Israeli forces against Tehran in February. A draft arrangement reportedly includes a broader halt to hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon, though Israel has pushed back against linking the Iran file to the Lebanon conflict.
Netanyahu has reiterated that Israel will not withdraw from positions it holds in southern Lebanon, underscoring ongoing disagreements over post-conflict arrangements in the region.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has also emphasized that Israel will continue to act independently against its adversaries. “We have never asked the United States to fight alongside us against Hezbollah in Lebanon, in Syria, or Hamas in Gaza. We did that ourselves,” Katz said. He added, “We hope, and still hope, the U.S. will support our right and provide diplomatic cover, not military cover, so we can act against all these enemies.”
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has, meanwhile, criticized reactions from some Israeli officials to the proposed arrangement, saying members of the Israeli government had personally attacked the U.S. president in public comments.
Separately, recent polling suggests Israel’s opposition bloc could be positioned to form a government if elections were held today. A survey published by the Maariv newspaper indicated that opposition parties could secure 61 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 49 for Netanyahu’s bloc, while Arab parties are projected to win 10 seats in elections scheduled no later than October.
The reported U.S. outreach underscores growing political fluidity in Israel and reflects Washington’s efforts to hedge its diplomatic positioning amid uncertainty over the country’s next government.
