Benjamin Netanyahu downgraded to spectator on Donald Trump's Middle East tour

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

60% : "Trump genuinely cares about the hostages, about their freedom.
59% : " Netanyahu's resistance to ending the war in Gaza has left Trump unable to further advance his signature foreign policy achievement from his first presidency, the Abraham Accords.
51% : Trump called him "young, attractive.
44% : " On the Houthi issue, he added: "It turns out [Trump] is unpredictable.
43% : " On his plane, Trump was gracious towards Israel but did not mention Netanyahu.
39% : "I mean, we told them we're doing it," Trump said, adding that Erdoğan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had "thought it was important to do".
38% : But as Trump pursues transactional relationships with world leaders, Netanyahu has refused to give the US president one thing he has clearly sought: a swift end to the Gaza war, which could free as many as 20 living Israeli hostages from Hamas captivity, at least a few of whom would be likely to visit the White House to thank Trump in person.
36% : Trump has shown signs of considering a deal that allows Iran to retain some domestic nuclear capacity, including enrichment at civilian levels.
33% : And talks with Iran may fail, bringing Trump back into tune with Netanyahu.
33% : Although Trump will not visit Israel -- a short hop away -- on this trip, Netanyahu's inner circle was "not in hysterics" over the apparent divisions, said a person familiar with the matter.
32% : " "Trump has given Bibi a lot of room on the Gaza war," the person said.
28% : In 2018 he convinced Trump to rip up a previous deal, arguing Iran was using its civilian programme as cover for weapons-grade enrichment.
27% : Since then, the Houthis have fired three ballistic missiles at Israel, twice while Trump was in Saudi Arabia.
26% : Trump had already split from Netanyahu on another front when he announced a truce on May 6 with Yemen's Houthi militants, who had been targeting ships in Red Sea shipping lanes.
23% : On Tuesday, Trump lifted sanctions on Syria, setting up a meeting the next day in Riyadh with its new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a man denounced by Israel as a dangerous jihadist.
23% : Trump still largely echoes Netanyahu's language about Hamas, even backing the Israeli leader's decision to block food from entering Gaza.
22% : " Trump headed to Doha on Wednesday to be feted by a monarchy that Netanyahu accused less than a fortnight ago of "playing both sides" in Gaza and refusing to take sides against "Hamas's barbarism".
22% : Asked en route whether his trip had sidelined Israel, Trump said it had not.
22% : In Riyadh, when Trump mentioned the Abraham Accords, the room fell silent, underscoring the unlikelihood of Saudi Arabia joining the accords until Netanyahu ends the Gaza war.
20% : " On Syria, Trump said he took advice from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who has a lasting antipathy for Netanyahu, and had merely informed -- rather than consulted -- Israel.

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