'Selling Out Their Brothers': Israel Seething After Being Passed Over in End-of-War Agreement

As details of the dramatically agreed-upon end-of-war Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Iran are being disclosed ahead of the signing ceremony, anger and criticism are mounting in Israel—which was sidelined from the negotiations—targeting the Donald Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to a draft of the 14-clause MOU obtained and reported by Bloomberg News on June 17 (local time), the agreement between the U.S. and Iran prioritizes regional stability and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, issues of concern to Israel, such as Iran's nuclear and missile programs and its support for regional proxies, were pushed to future negotiations.

On the other hand, the draft includes numerous clauses favorable to Iran, such as lifting the maritime blockade on Iran, allowing exports of Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products, establishing a comprehensive plan for Iran's reconstruction and economic development, and guaranteeing at least $300 billion (453 trillion won) in funding.

The Jerusalem Post, a conservative right-wing Israeli newspaper, reported that Israel is not mentioned anywhere in the end-of-war agreement. It also noted that the U.S. rejected Israel's request to review the agreement ahead of the signing ceremony.

In particular, under the headline "Selling Out Their Brothers," the newspaper reported that right-wing Israeli figures strongly criticized Steve Witkoff, President Trump's close Middle East envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president's eldest son-in-law.

Tal Meir, an anchor for Channel 14, a prominent right-wing Israeli broadcaster, criticized them, saying, "They (Witkoff and Kushner) turned their backs on Israel at a decisive moment." She added, "They seem to be deeply mistaken in this situation. You, too, are part of the Jewish people."

Meir then asked, "We are defending this place for you and your future generations. And yet, you turn your backs on us like this?" before raising her voice to add, "They are just losers."

Yinon Magal, host of Channel 14's flagship program 'The Patriots,' also targeted Kushner and Witkoff on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), criticizing them by saying, "This agreement makes Trump look like a loser. They (Kushner and Witkoff) yielded to Qatar's pressure and sold out their brothers in Israel."

Anna Barsky, a political commentator for another conservative outlet, Maariv, pointed out, "The biggest risk for Israel this time is that the U.S. president is treating Netanyahu not as an equal partner, but as a secondary actor."

Shlomo Shamir, a commentator for the same outlet, also noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu walked away "without a single tangible political gain."

Joshua Leifer, a columnist for the progressive daily Haaretz, harshly criticized the prime minister during an appearance on the newspaper's podcast, saying, "Netanyahu has dragged Israel into a massive quagmire."

Leifer predicted, "Due to his failure to achieve the promised victory over Iran, Prime Minister Netanyahu will pay a devastating political price within Israel in the future."

Public reactions are even more raw.

Comments on articles about the draft end-of-war MOU are overwhelmingly filled with dissatisfaction over the agreement and criticism of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

One reader commented, "Reading the agreement, it looks like a plan to turn Iran into a powerful nuclear state," adding, "They are promising nuclear terror, and is there any guarantee they won't actually do it?"

Another user characterized the end-of-war MOU as "America's shameful surrender agreement," expressing concern that "this will reveal the U.S. to be nothing but a hollow shell, and above all, it will harm America."

Other comments included, "Bibi (Netanyahu's nickname), now is not the time to be silent. It is time to make it clear that our red line has been crossed. The U.S. is acting like an enemy," and "The situation in February, just before the outbreak of the war, was better. Now billions of dollars will pour into (Iran), while we are stuck in Lebanon. Qatar has defeated us."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.