The Trust Deficit: Why Netanyahu Is Wary of a U.S.-Backed Gaza Plan

A significant trust deficit is fueling Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wariness of the U.S.-backed Gaza peace plan, particularly concerning its provisions for post-war governance. This deep-seated skepticism, which he will carry into his Monday meeting with President Donald Trump, is a major hurdle for any diplomatic agreement.
Netanyahu’s distrust is primarily focused on the Palestinian Authority (PA), the entity the U.S. and its allies see as the only viable long-term ruler of a post-Hamas Gaza. The American plan calls for a reformed PA to eventually take control after a transitional period.
For Netanyahu, this is a non-starter. He views the PA as an unreliable and potentially hostile entity. He frequently points to its loss of control over Gaza to Hamas in 2007 as proof of its weakness and has expressed doubts that it can be reformed in a way that would ensure Israel’s security. He recently stated that it is unlikely the PA would “accept a Jewish state.”
This trust deficit extends beyond the PA to the very idea of international transitional bodies. Netanyahu, a long-serving leader, is skeptical of international interventions and prefers to rely on Israel’s own military and security apparatus to protect its interests.
Overcoming this trust deficit will be President Trump’s most difficult task. He must convince Netanyahu that the structures proposed in the 21-point plan—including a UN-backed authority and a revitalized PA—are not risks to be feared, but essential components of a framework that can provide Israel with something its military alone cannot: lasting peace and regional acceptance.