Azernews.Az

The administration of US President Donald Trump is reportedly establishing contacts with Israeli opposition figures as disagreements with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continue to deepen, AzerNEWS reports via Anadolu Agency.

Israeli broadcaster Channel 12 reported that officials within the Trump administration believe political changes could occur in Israel and have therefore initiated informal contacts with opposition leaders, including Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot.

According to the report, Washington has expressed concerns regarding hardline elements within Netanyahu's governing coalition and is seeking to establish communication channels with alternative political actors ahead of future elections.

The broadcaster also claimed that Israeli opposition groups have spent recent months attempting to strengthen relations with officials in Washington, achieving what it described as limited success among figures critical of Netanyahu's policies.

The reported outreach comes amid growing strains between Washington and Tel Aviv over a range of regional issues, including the handling of conflicts involving Iran and Lebanon.

Channel 12 said the United States is interested in creating what it described as "new informal trust mechanisms" with Israeli political actors, although Trump has not publicly endorsed any alternative candidate for Israel's leadership.

The report follows the publication of a recent opinion poll by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, which suggested that opposition parties could secure enough seats to form a governing coalition if elections were held today. According to the survey, opposition forces would win 61 seats in the 120-member Knesset, compared with 49 seats for Netanyahu's bloc. Arab parties were projected to secure 10 seats.

The political developments come as the United States and Iran are reportedly engaged in negotiations aimed at reducing tensions following months of military escalation. According to the report, discussions have included efforts to halt hostilities across multiple fronts, including Lebanon.

The Israeli government has rejected attempts to link the Iranian and Lebanese tracks, while Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that Israel will not withdraw from positions it currently controls in southern Lebanon.