Diplomatic Siege: U.S. Envoys Flood Israel

In recent days, Israel has become a revolving door for senior U.S. envoys.
On Monday, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Presidential Advisor Jared Kushner arrived.
They were followed by Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday.

Their mission was clear: to prevent the collapse of the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire effectively pressuring Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to abandon the agreement that ended two years of war earlier this month.

The visits, described by observers as a form of “babysitting diplomacy,” reflect Washington’s determination to keep Israel in line and prevent renewed hostilities that have already claimed more than 68,000 Palestinian lives.

Trump: I Stopped Him, It Could Have Gone On for Years

U.S. President Donald Trump made no effort to hide his influence.
In an interview published Thursday, he told Time Magazine:

You know, I stopped him because he was going to continue. It could have gone on for years.

Trump also warned that if Israel proceeds with the annexation of the occupied West Bank, it would “lose all U.S. support.”
The Israeli Knesset had pre-approved that move just a day earlier.
Vice President Vance called the annexation push “very stupid” and said he opposed any such vote.

Netanyahu appeared to retreat, dismissing the proposal as a “political provocation” despite his past public support and his party’s role in advancing it.

A Client State in All but Name

According to former Israeli ambassador Alon Pinkas, the reality is undeniable:

Of course Israel is a client state of the United States.

Pinkas pointed to the billions in U.S. aid, Washington’s repeated vetoes shielding Israel at the United Nations, and its extensive military backing.

Analysts argue that the Trump administration is leveraging this dependency to reassert American control.
Chatham House senior fellow Yossi Mekelberg said:

The U.S. team may say many things, but their agenda is crystal clear — this is Washington coming in and saying: ‘Do as you’re told.’

His comments refer to a recent CBS News interview where Witkoff and Kushner admitted feeling “betrayed” by Israel’s decision to strike Hamas negotiators in Doha, a move they said undermined ongoing peace efforts.

Netanyahu Pushes Back: “Nonsense”

The Israeli prime minister bristled at suggestions that Israel has lost its independence:

One week they say Israel controls the U.S., the next week the U.S. controls Israel. Nonsense.

Yet the evidence tells a different story.
The current ceasefire deal — announced during Netanyahu’s Washington visit was widely seen as a tactic to lock him into public commitment before returning home.

An Unequal Alliance

The U.S.–Israel relationship has always been asymmetrical.
Washington wields global power; Israel remains its most loyal regional ally.
But under Trump, the balance has tilted further, with diplomacy giving way to direct command.

What was once a partnership now looks increasingly like a relationship of oversight and obedience.
For Netanyahu, that creates a dangerous dilemma: preserve American backing or assert national autonomy.

Whichever path Israel takes will define the future of U.S.–Israeli relations and perhaps the course of Middle Eastern politics itself.