Israeli media slams Netanyahu as 'humiliated' by Trump

Israeli political commentators have delivered blistering assessments of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the US-Iran diplomatic breakthrough, portraying him as sidelined and humiliated by Washington's decision to negotiate directly with Tehran. The criticism erupted after Netanyahu acknowledged that he had been unaware of the memorandum of understanding reached between the United States and Iran, which seeks to end military hostilities that began on February 28.

Accusations of failure and deception

Haaretz columnist Yossi Verter described Netanyahu as standing "at the height of what any objective expert would define as a colossal strategic failure for the State of Israel." In an article headlined "Without shame, the architect of failure claimed he saved Israel from collective death. It was another lie among many," Verter questioned Netanyahu's assertion that he had prevented "nuclear annihilation," noting that the prime minister has made similar claims for three decades. Verter added that Netanyahu "has no idea what is contained in the memorandum of understanding the US and Iran digitally signed behind his back. The Iranians know. The Pakistanis know. Presumably the Qataris know. Netanyahu, it seems, does not."

Exclusion and humiliation from Washington

Maariv columnist Ben Caspit wrote that "Netanyahu's show is over: Trump threw him under the bus," noting that the prime minister did not mention Trump by name during his press conference and admitted he knew nothing about the agreement signed electronically without his knowledge. Caspit argued that Netanyahu's repeated warnings about "annihilation" were intended to obscure responsibility for Israel's failures regarding Iran. "Once again, Israel was left outside the picture," he wrote, comparing the situation to the 2015 nuclear agreement from which Netanyahu was also excluded. Walla commentator Barak Seri described the outcome as Netanyahu's "greatest humiliation," noting that senior Israeli officials viewed the deal as "bad and dangerous for Israel" and "a real disaster" that was reached without considering Israeli interests.

Unachieved war objectives and regional implications

Analysts questioned what had been achieved through the conflict, noting that none of Israel's stated war objectives had been met—not eliminating Iran's nuclear threat, not removing the ballistic missile threat, not creating conditions for regime change, and not addressing Tehran's continued support for regional proxies. Seri mocked one of the outcomes touted by supporters of the agreement, writing: "The Strait of Hormuz has been opened. What a great achievement—it was open before the war." Netanyahu, who has been wanted by the International Criminal Court since 2024 over allegations of war crimes in Gaza, now faces mounting domestic criticism as Israel grapples with the strategic implications of being sidelined from a major diplomatic accord that will reshape regional security dynamics. Ankara, which maintains dialogue with all parties, continues to advocate for inclusive diplomatic processes that address the concerns of all regional stakeholders.