WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump erupted into a rage at Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone in an attack described by Washington officials as among the fiercest from President Trump towards the prime minister since he came back to power, describing him as “crazy” and “ingratitude” for the escalating military action of Israel in Lebanon.
The confrontation stemmed from Trump’s growing alarm that Netanyahu’s decision to escalate operations in Lebanon was directly threatening to derail his sensitive negotiations with Iran. The stakes could not have been higher: Iran’s top negotiators had stopped exchanging messages with the US through Pakistani intermediaries, as Tehran vowed to fully shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would send global energy markets into a tailspin.
The Explosive Phone Call
According to Axios, which cited two US officials and a third source briefed on the call, Trump told Netanyahu: “You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.” At one explosive moment during the exchange, Trump yelled at Netanyahu: “What the hell are you doing?”
It wasn’t merely an insult towards his own person, but Trump also threw a wrench in the works of Netanyahu’s plan to bomb Beirut, informing Netanyahu that any attacks on Beirut could result in more international isolation for Israel.
Disproportionate Force at the Heart of the Dispute
The US government accepted that Trump knew that Hezbollah was attacking Israel and that Israel had a right to defend themselves. Nevertheless, Trump felt that Netanyahu had been going too far lately in a disproportionate manner. A source from America informed Axios that Trump disagreed with Israel taking out whole buildings to destroy one Hezbollah commander.
There was another aspect to this request that was more personal in nature. Trump hinted at his help to Netanyahu, who managed to avoid jail in corruption cases filed against him. Clearly, Trump was looking to demonstrate that there were some things that could not be done for an individual.
Netanyahu, for his part, responded with little more than “OK, OK, just make sure everything is taken care of,” according to a US official who described Trump as having “steamrolled” the Israeli prime minister on the call.
But the Israelis were quick to reinterpret events. “I have informed the president,” Netanyahu said in his statement, “that if Hezbollah doesn’t stop attacking our cities and citizens, I’ll order attacks on Hezbollah positions in Beirut, and, meanwhile, our operations in southern Lebanon will continue.”
Also Read: Bangladesh Restores ‘Except Israel’ Clause on General Passports
One official confirmed this was among Trump’s worst calls with Netanyahu since he returned to office, despite the two leaders having coordinated closely on Iran and other regional matters throughout the year.
Trump subsequently posted on Truth Social that Netanyahu had “turned his troops around” rather than conducting a “major raid” on Lebanon, and that both the Israeli military and Hezbollah-aligned groups had agreed to stop firing. He added with characteristic skepticism: “Let’s see how long that lasts — Hopefully it will be for ETERNITY!”.
Following the call, President Trump also tweeted that Iran talks are “underway at lightning speed,” indicating that the White House perceives this diplomatic path with Iran as the highest foreign policy priority in the region, one now under threat from Netanyahu’s militaristic designs.
This is an extremely big blow to the image of the close alliance between Trump and Netanyahu. The two have been working together for months. That front now shows serious cracks and the consequences for Middle East stability, Iran diplomacy, and global energy markets could prove far-reaching.
