Trump ‘shouted and cursed Netanyahu over threat to resume Beirut bombing’ | US foreign policy
Donald Trump angrily confronted Benjamin Netanyahu over his threat to renew Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, according to a report.
“What are you doing?” The US president shouted at the Israeli prime minister during a phone call on Monday, according to US website Axios, which frequently publishes reports on high-level talks between the two leaders.
In the report discussed in the Israeli media, a US official is quoted as summarizing Trump’s words to Netanyahu: “You are crazy. If it weren’t for me, you would be in prison. I am saving your ass. Now everyone hates you. That’s why everyone hates Israel.”
The phone call came after Netanyahu ordered the Israeli army to continue bombing the southern Dahiya district of Beirut to target Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia group that has been carrying out drone attacks on Israel. The Israel Defense Forces told Lebanese civilians to evacuate areas south of Beirut, causing thousands of people to flee.
Iran said on Tuesday it would suspend peace talks with the United States over Israel’s ongoing offensive in southern Lebanon. Tehran has insisted that Lebanon should be included in a ceasefire agreement that would facilitate negotiations to open the Strait of Hormuz and lift the US blockade of Iranian ports.
The phone call between Trump and Netanyahu came on the heels of the announcement, which would effectively freeze talks, days after Trump claimed negotiators had reached a preliminary agreement that he was considering whether to sign.
Channel 12, the leading independent Israeli news network, disputed the details of the call. Amit Segal, the network’s chief political analyst, said Trump did not attack Netanyahu personally and that they agreed that Trump would refrain from attacking the Beirut suburbs if Hezbollah stopped its attacks on Israel.
Trump and Netanyahu have had a tense relationship in the past, but Israel remains the United States’ main ally in the region, and the two leaders launched a joint attack on Iran in February at Netanyahu’s urging.
Trump made clear last year that Iran and Israel “didn’t know what they were doing” during 12 days of mutual attacks involving air forces, missiles and drones.
After congratulating Joe Biden for winning the 2020 elections in which Trump participated, Netanyahu said “Fuck him” to Netanyahu.
Trump faces pressure from different segments of the Republican party. Pro-Israel allies are urging the United States to further escalate its conflict with Iran, while others want a quick conclusion to the war to ease economic damage ahead of U.S. midterm elections in November.
“The Iranian regime will take advantage of this leak, view us as weak and desperate for a deal, and may even begin to defend Hezbollah,” wrote influential pro-Israel talk show host Mark Levin, who spoke to Trump.
Netanyahu is also under political pressure. Israel’s parliament this week backed a bill on first reading to dissolve the Knesset and trigger early elections, and the corruption trial is scheduled to go ahead after being repeatedly postponed due to Israel’s security situation.
