Political Turmoil in Israel Over U.S.-Iran Agreement

The announcement of a temporary accord between the United States and Iran sparked widespread anger among Israelis from different political factions on Monday. Many labeled the agreement as disastrous for Israel, directing frustration towards Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While Netanyahu had not released a statement by Monday night, various government officials, opposition leaders, and commentators were quick to criticize the accord. This reaction has been seen as a kind of informal referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership ahead of upcoming fall elections.

The criticism underscored Netanyahu’s increasing isolation both domestically and internationally, including with the United States. Critics accuse him of involving President Donald Trump in a conflict with Iran with promises that were unrealistic. Now, Trump appears to be withdrawing from the conflict before Israel is ready. It’s argued that Netanyahu misjudged Trump’s tolerance for a prolonged conflict. Meanwhile, he was outmaneuvered by Iran in negotiations and became increasingly sidelined by other major regional players.

“Israel is paying the price for Netanyahu’s arrogance and blindness, as well as the manipulations he attempted with Trump,” said former Prime Minister Ehud Barak during an interview with Israel’s public broadcaster on Monday. “Iran emerged stronger; Israel emerged weaker. That is Netanyahu’s strategic failure.”

Yair Lapid, who is set to challenge Netanyahu in the upcoming elections, stated on Sunday that the agreement could be one of Israel’s most shocking foreign and security policy failures, entirely attributed to Netanyahu. “It can be fixed, it must be fixed,” Lapid wrote, indicating confidence in resolving the situation where Netanyahu could not.

The agreement could complicate Israeli operations in Lebanon, where Israel became embroiled after invading southern Lebanon. This followed missile attacks from the Lebanese group Hezbollah on northern Israeli towns during the first week of the conflict. Iran has insisted that any U.S.-Iran deal includes the cessation of Israeli hostilities in Lebanon. The negotiation process saw Trump increasingly desperate to exit the conflict, leading to frustration over Israeli strikes in Beirut. These activities jeopardized the deal, prompting Trump to end the conflict with Iran even if it limited Israel’s options in Lebanon.

This leaves Netanyahu in a challenging situation. His bond with Trump may require scaling back a military campaign in Lebanon, a campaign supported by many in Israel. On Monday, Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed to maintain Israeli troops in Lebanon.

“All Hezbollah needs to do is get one rocket to hit an Israeli town in northern Israel, and the pressure on Netanyahu—from his own supporters as well as the opposition—will escalate,” stated Daniel Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council. “That will be hard to resist,” Shapiro added, noting the leverage this gives to Hezbollah and Iran.

Some of the most hardline members of Netanyahu’s coalition have criticized the agreement, urging the prime minister to continue the campaign in Lebanon, even at the risk of offending the United States and jeopardizing the deal.

“We must not settle for less than the dismantling of Hezbollah,” wrote National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on social media platform X.

In Lebanon, the agreement has left Israel’s campaign future uncertain. In Iran, it has restricted Netanyahu before achieving his goals. Netanyahu and the United States initiated the conflict on February 28 with the aim of dismantling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Nearly four months later, Iran has withstood a devastating aerial campaign and appears stronger. Analysts and critics note Iran’s network of proxies remains intact, capable of missile attacks against Israel. Tehran maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global trade route, disrupting commerce and raising prices worldwide. The extent of damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile program remains unclear.

“Israel believes the war delayed Iran’s nuclear program but did not alter its goals,” wrote political commentator Anna Barsky for Ma’ariv, a major Hebrew-language newspaper. She added that Israeli officials worry that under its agreement with the United States, Iran might receive a significant financial boost. According to three regional officials who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the talks, the agreement would include the gradual lifting of sanctions and release of frozen Iranian assets.

“Trump signs a deal that channels billions of dollars into the ayatollah regime, leaves the nuclear infrastructure intact, maintains the ballistic threat as it is, and throws a lifeline to Tehran’s murderous regime,” wrote Yair Golan, leader of a center-left party and former Israeli general, on social media platform X.