"From the start, the objectives have been divergent" : between the United States and Israel, tensions are accumulating over the strategy to adopt in the Middle East

Relations are becoming even more tense between the United States and Israel. Donald Trump urged Iran and the Jewish state to “immediately stop ‘pulling'”, Monday June 8, in a message on its Truth Social network, after the resumption of direct attacks between the two countries, for the first time since the truce concluded two months ago. The day before, the tenant of the White House had already insisted with Benjamin Netanyahu, as he explained to Axios. Without success.

This sequence is the latest episode in a rise in tensions between the two historic allies, engaged in a war against Iran since February 28. In recent months, Donald Trump has no longer hidden his disagreements with the Israeli Prime Minister. “Israel will no longer bomb Lebanon. The United States forbids it. That’s enough!”the American president wrote on April 17, in an unprecedented public reprimand addressed to Benjamin Netanyahu.

American media, including Axios, even reported a tense and insulting exchange between the two leaders on June 1. “Tu es complètement cinglé ? What the hell are you doing? I helped you stay out of prison”launched the American president on the subject of the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, as he subsequently confirmed in New York Post.

The dispute may have been minimized by Benjamin Netanyahu two days later on CNBC, but it highlights the strategic differences of the two leaders. “From the start, the objectives have been divergent: we have a Benjamin Netanyahu whose only objective is ultimately the destruction of the Islamic Republic and its proxies. Donald Trump sees that, obviously, it is far from easy. He is more pragmatic and wants an agreement”explained Sébastien Boussois, researcher in Euro-Arab relations at the Free University of Brussels, Monday morning in the “6/9” of franceinfo.

Entangled in a long-lasting conflict, Donald Trump is looking for a way out of a war that is increasingly unpopular among American public opinion. His administration is worried about disastrous midterm elections in November. “The question of the economic and human cost of war is very important to the American electorate. A long conflict that would send energy prices soaring poses a major risk for Donald Trump”already pointed out in March Ludivine Gilli, director of the North America Observatory of the Jean-Jaurès Foundation.

Faced with polls that are very unfavorable to the Republican camp, the American president seeks to “concentrate on something else” that the conflict in the Near and Middle East underlines Sébastien Boussois. Especially as political pressure mounts. The American House of Representatives adopted, on June 3, a text ordering the withdrawal of American troops in the war against Iran. A snub for the billionaire, who had promised not to start any new war during the presidential campaign.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s interests are very different. While early legislative elections could take place in September or October in Israel, the prime minister has promised to end the threat posed by the “ayatollah regime” in Iran and to disarm Hezbollah in Lebanon. Centrist Yair Lapid, the leader of the opposition, accused him of transforming Israel into “protector pure and simple” of the United States. The Prime Minister is also on trial for three corruption cases. In the event of defeat, he would immediately face justice.

Are political dissensions transforming into mistrust between the two allies? The Pentagon has raised the counterintelligence threat level regarding Israel to its highest level. The Department of Defense’s military intelligence agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, said that “Israel’s capacity to conduct human espionage and technical collection operations was at a ‘critical level'”relayed NBC News, citing American officials. For his part, The New York Times reported Israeli attempts to wiretap senior officials, including President Donald Trump’s top negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and top Pentagon policy official Elbridge Colby.

However, specialists tend to nuance these tensions between the American administration and the Israeli government, far from being a first. In June 2025, Donald Trump was angry with Israel, then engaged in a fragile ceasefire with Iran, in a message written entirely in capital letters. In front of journalists, he even blurted out the word “fuck” (“fucking” in French), about the conflict between the two countries, Politico then reported.

However, the United States still supports its Israeli ally, especially since the two leaders have known and appreciated each other for a long time. “Every time Donald Trump says something like ‘you’re crazy,’ some people rush to announce the end of their relationship. That’s not true. Their relationship allows him to say just that.” explain to Monde Anshel Pfeffer, journalist The Economist and author of the biography Bibi – The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There have already been articles about differences and tensions, but then they started a war together in Iran,” also recalls Mairav ​​Zonszein, Israel specialist for the International Crisis Group, to AFP. “There are tactical disagreements. We always find a way to resolve them, and we do it as great friends. We can disagree in the morning and in the afternoon take joint action,” Benyamin Netanyahu summed up confidently on Wednesday.