Trump Administration Abruptly Fires 3 Senior Officials Seen as Strong Israel Supporters

In a move that has taken Washington and Tel Aviv by surprise, the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump has dismissed three senior officials from the White House and the National Security Council who were known for their strong support of Israel.

According to a report by the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, the decision was driven by growing rifts between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly over Israel’s desire to launch a unilateral military strike on Iran — even without Washington’s consent — and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The three officials removed from their posts are Merav Sarn, a U.S.-Israeli dual national who had recently been appointed head of the Iran and Israel desk at the National Security Council; Eric Trager, the NSC’s Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa; and Morgan Ortagus, deputy to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Washington’s special representative to Lebanon.

Sources cited by Israeli newspaper  suggested that further dismissals of pro-Israel figures within Trump’s circle could follow, signaling what the newspaper described as “a widening gap between Israel and the Trump administration.”

The report characterized the move as part of a broader recalibration in U.S. policy. “These dismissals are not coincidental,” the paper stated, “but rather a reflection of Washington’s deliberate distancing from Israel at this stage, based on its own strategic interests.”

Trump had previously urged Netanyahu to refrain from attacking Iran, pointing instead to progress in renewed nuclear negotiations with Tehran and suggesting that a new agreement was within reach.

On the Gaza front, envoy Steve Witkoff had recently submitted a ceasefire proposal to both Israel and Hamas. Although he initially expressed optimism, he later criticized Hamas for what he viewed as a dismissive response to the initiative.

The abrupt shakeup has stirred debate within foreign policy circles in both the U.S. and Israel, raising questions about the future trajectory of U.S.-Israel relations and the Trump team’s evolving stance on Middle East policy.