How Donald Trump’s expanding Gulf business ties and J.D. Vance’s transactional worldview could transform America’s relationship with Israel—and redefine the meaning of alliance itself.
Michel Benchimol
There was a time when Donald Trump’s relationship with Israel appeared clear, consistent, and grounded in action.
He recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
He moved the U.S. embassy.
He helped deliver the Abraham Accords.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his government have served as some of Hamas’s most loyal supporters and protectors, and spent years defending Hamas, legitimizing it, funding Hamas-related activities, and providing it with diplomatic and political cover. Why would anyone seriously believe that they will now help dismantle the very organization they have nurtured? Pictured: Erdogan meets with Hamas Leadership in Istanbul, April 20, 2024. Screengrab via Youtube
As the Trump Administration seeks to stabilize the Gaza Strip through its “Board of Peace” initiative, one participant stands out as particularly ill-suited for the role of mediator: Turkey.
Vance describing Israel as a partner rather than as a vassal to the US. October 22, 2026. Screengrab via Youtube.
US Vice President JD Vance states that the deconfliction channel established between the United States and Iran during negotiations in Switzerland will include representatives from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the US Army’s Central Command (CENTCOM), who will be based together in Doha, Qatar.
Peloni: The focus of Washington should be on stabilizing the region. Yet, instead, it is arming the Turks, paying the Ayatollahs, partnering with the Qataris, preserving Hezbollah, protecting Hamas, and ignoring the Houthis. Is this how regional stability is borne?
The new sales pitch is unbelievable.
“$300 BILLION for the Ayatollahs? Don’t worry—it’s for American corn.”
Iran doesn’t need corn.
Iran doesn’t need wheat.
Iran doesn’t have a produce problem.
Peloni: Only by recognizing the unity of the Jewish people may Jews find that their security can be leveraged against common and allied threats.
In a time of escalating antisemitism, Israel and the Diaspora must operate as one people facing one threat environment
By ADAM MILSTEIN | JUNE 22, 2026
PM Netanyahu meets Pres. Trump at Mar-a-lago. Screengrab via Youtube.
In my recent piece, “Diaspora Jewish Resilience Will Define Our Future,” I outlined a roadmap for confronting the surge in antisemitism reshaping American Jewish life. I argued we must move from a reactive to a proactive posture across our communal institutions.
Peloni: This was an important article by Leonard Grunstein. There should be no involvement of Iran in Lebanon, no connection between Iran and any peace talks between Israel and Lebanon, and no linkage between Lebanon and Iran at any level. Doing so is not simply immoral and unproductive, it is actually illegal given Hezbollah’s FTO status.
Let Israel and Lebanon finally solve the problem, once and for all time, without interference from outsiders.
Leonard Grunstein |
Secretary Marco Rubio meets with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in New York City, New York, September 22, 2025. By U.S. Department of State – Flickr, Public Domain, Wikipedia
The President of the United States and President of the Iranian Regime signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), on June 17, 2026.
In an important video on TOV Channel, Dr. Mordechai Kedar suggests that Donald Trump entered the confrontation with Iran intending to exert strong pressure but ultimately retreated because Iran and its allies demonstrated their ability to inflict significant economic costs on the United States and its partners.
Peloni: Avi Abelow raises an alarm over the relevance of European countries having nuclear weapons when they are about to become Muslim majority nations along with the alarming display of domination being fashioned to cement the power of the Red-Green alliance over NYC.
Avi Abelow | Meta | June 24, 2026
Mayor Mamdani. Screengrab via Youtube
The election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City was already a deeply worrying sign, a clear indication of the dangerous direction the city of New York, where I grew up, is heading. A socialist-Islamist now leads America’s largest city, the financial capital in the world, a status now in clear danger of being lost.
Peloni: It is very disappointing that it has taken over a year for these records to be released, and there are still no explanations as to why there has been no accountability for what took place during the Covid Scam.
What crimes have Western governments committed against their citizens?
Peloni: It is relevant to note that peace talks including the leadership of the LAF with Israel broke down this morning. The goal line of having the LAF act as an honest independent party is going to be Iran’s failsafe in these negotiations, and this was always going to be the case. The way to eliminate Iran’s dominiation of Lebanon lies in dealing with the Iranian leadership in Iran, not in having the complicit LAF dealing with the Iranian proxy in Lebanon. Cut off the Iranian funding, THEN follow thru in Lebanon.
The US had pressured Israel to adhere to a real ceasefire with Hezbollah. In the past, the ceasefires were only in name, and strikes continued against one another.
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN | June 24, 2026
A new round of Israel-Lebanon talks began in Washington on June 23 in a complex environment because Iran is trying to salvage its Hezbollah proxy.
Iran has tied the conflict in Lebanon to the Iran talks in Switzerland. Therefore, the US has pressured Israel to adhere to a real ceasefire with Hezbollah.
Peloni: David Brody makes some very important reflections while considering recent events with Trump’s Iran deal. First, it is important to note that it is Trump’s deal, and that no matter how well or how poor Vance applies himself, the current negotiations are entirely Trump’s undertaking. That is why he has repeatedly made unexpected pronouncements regarding the negotiations. Beyond this, Vance is placing his entire political credibility on the line base on how he proceeds in this negotiation, even beyond whether the negotiations are successful or not. Notably, Vance has played his cards thus far in hosting this gambit in a manner which might be argued to diminish his political hopes. Also Brody indicates below, I have never forgotten Trump’s dead pan jest about blaming this entire fiasco on Vance, as I too did not interpret that Trump’s ironic statement was actually intended to garner any laughs. Regardless of the earnest efforts by Trump and Vance to gain Iran’s support for any deal, I still remain convinced that these attempts will ultimately prove fruitless as the Iranians are predictably who they are.
So in two months time, this will likely leave Trump with the unenviable choice of either punting further with a further extension on the farcical negotiations, surrendering entirely to Iran while claiming a faux victory, or resuming the war while still in need of some ground force to bring about any victory, and this choice will come just shortly before the looming midterms. Only one of these options would leave Vance in a better light, and that would require the Iranians offering him a clear political victory just before the crucial US midterms.
By Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America – J. D. Vance, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikipedia
JD Vance is now front and center in the Iran negotiations, but let’s be clear about something: this is not really about JD Vance freelancing foreign policy. This is about Donald Trump.
Peloni: There is an important conversation to be had regarding this topic. Should Israel reveal its nuclear program to the world in hopes of providing a deterrence to its enemies? Comments would be appreciated.
By Sha’i ben-Tekoa
Nuclear Depth Bomb, Royal Air Force Museum, London, England (Photo by Ank Kumar – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikipedia)
And the box in this case contains the official Israeli policy of never admitting to being in possession of nuclear bombs. This policy needs to be re-thought.
President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated appearance at the Senate Republicans’ weekly lunch took a turn for the worse, deepening the ideological fault lines between Congress and the White House.
Peloni: Dr. Martin Sherman addresses the Russian talking points being used to manipulate narratives against Israel. Notably, the interviewer does not even attempt to provide any balance in poising his questions.