America and Israel... Who leads whom? This question has been asked by many since Israel was forcibly planted in the region in 1948. However, it has become more frequent throughout the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, which began on October 7, 2023, following Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa, and did not stop until after the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit on October 13.

It is logical and natural that America is the one leading Israel because the latter has, in the final analysis, been merely a functional tool of the West for decades, and in all critical issues, America is the one who commands, and Israel obeys.

Why are we asking this question now?

Simply because most senior Israeli officials have been talking for months about the imminent possibility of annexing the West Bank to Israeli sovereignty, and the Israeli Knesset actually approved the decision in a preliminary reading last weekend. Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump told Time magazine that the annexation decision would not go ahead, and that he had promised Arab and Islamic countries that it would. After this firmness and decisiveness from Trump, then his Vice President J.D. Vance, and senior US officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backtracked, saying that he had not ordered the annexation, but rather that the opposition, in partnership with some forces in the ruling coalition, had submitted the proposal to embarrass him!!

This dramatic development clearly proves that America is the one running Israel, not the other way around.

But those who believe that Israel controls America are completely excused, because the facts and details of the Israeli aggression over the past two years strongly indicate that Israel is the one ruling America. Former President Joe Biden came running to Israel just days after the Al-Aqsa Intifada, opened weapons depots and financial coffers, and repeatedly used his veto to ensure the continuation of the aggression.

Netanyahu went to Congress more than once as if he were the one ruling America, not just a recipient of its aid.

We thought Biden was the best at serving, supporting, and assisting Israel, but we discovered that Trump surpassed everyone else. He threatened the Palestinians day and night with opening the gates of hell on them. He even participated in the aggression against Iran last June, and a few days ago, he boasted that all the distinguished Israeli military operations, especially the Pager operation in Lebanon, were carried out with his knowledge, support, and approval.

But Trump realized that continuing the aggression could harm American interests in the long term, so he put forward his twenty-point plan. Despite its bias toward Israel, it ultimately halted the aggression, allowed aid in, and halted the displacement plan.

The Trump plan did not please the extreme right in Israel because it thwarted the plan to liquidate the Palestinian cause—at least for the time being. Then came Trump's announcement rejecting Israel's annexation of the West Bank, raising the important question: Who rules whom?

Many Israeli writers and officials have commented on the developments of recent days, arguing that they prove beyond doubt that the United States is the de facto ruler of Israel. We find someone likening US envoy Steve Witkoff to the US high envoy who makes the major strategic decisions regarding Israel and its future.

One might ask: How can we explain America's complete identification with Israel throughout the aggression, its overt support, and even its full participation in it?!

The simple answer is that Israel often succeeds in aligning its interests with those of the United States, portraying Washington as defending American interests. This approach has always been successful, primarily due to the powerful influence of the Jewish Zionist lobby in America and Europe, religious factors, and the absence of any Arab influence on American decision-making, despite the presence of major American interests in Arab countries.

But when American interests conflict with Israeli interests, Washington always intervenes and forces Israel to remain silent and obey.

Does the above mean that Trump has become a champion of Arab and Palestinian rights, and that Israel will accept this without resistance?

The answer is a definite no.