Netanyahu says ‘we don’t need USA’ after Trump called him ‘crazy’ | World | News

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied reports that President Donald Trump called him “crazy” and insisted he views his relationship with the Republican administration as a family matter.

In his interview with CNBC, Netanyahu made statements touching on some of his government’s important priorities, including relations with the United States. Asked about a heated phone call with the American leader, Netanyahu said it was completely normal for “families” to have disagreements on certain issues, although he did not disclose details of the call.

“If you think this is a crisis, you should have other talks. But we always found a way. We have so many agreements. We agree on the main issues. We want to end Iran’s nuclear program.

“We want to make sure that Iran does not pose a threat to Israel, the Middle East and America, that it does not develop nuclear weapons and ways to deliver them not only to Israel and every capital of Europe, but to every city in the United States,” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu stated that Israel does not need US support. He said: “One of the senators in the US Senate said: ‘If we had Israel instead of Afghanistan, we wouldn’t have to spend $1 trillion; we would spend a fraction of that, a few billion dollars a year.”

“But I said, ‘We don’t need that either.'” Netanyahu added: “This is our common goal. That’s what we decided to do, and to expand the circle of peace, as the President and I did together in the Abraham Accords. So we have common goals.”

“Sometimes, as in the best families, we have tactical disagreements. We always find a way to resolve them, and we do it as great friends. We can disagree in the morning and take joint action in the afternoon.”

Trump: ‘I was a little nervous’

Netanyahu’s remarks came amid multiple reports suggesting the American president launched an angry tirade against the Israeli leader over attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs.

“What…what are you doing?” Trump reportedly told Netanyahu this on Monday, according to Axios, which first reported the tense calls.

Unnamed members of the administration told the news outlet: “You’re crazy. If it wasn’t for me, you’d be in jail. I’m saving your ass. Now everyone hates you. That’s why everyone hates Israel.”

Trump confirmed the phone call during a pre-recorded podcast interview on Wednesday and downplayed suggestions that his remarks were motivated by anger: “I wouldn’t say he was angry. I was a little uneasy about him constantly fighting Lebanon, you know.”

Israel-Lebanon tensions rise amid pressure to end war in Iran

The president’s admission of the heated, profanity-laden phone call with Netanyahu reflects growing pressure to resolve the Iran dispute as rising energy costs and economic instability threaten Republicans ahead of midterm elections and disrupt international trade.

But Trump did not offer a definitive timeline for ending the dispute and suggested the Strait of Hormuz could remain closed until the Labor Day holiday on September 7. He demanded that Iran stop any activity that would enable the development of nuclear weapons and reopen the strait to oil and natural gas shipments.

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday hit a vehicle on a busy highway just south of Beirut, just hours before the second day of talks between Lebanon and Israel was due to begin in Washington.

The attack in Khaldah took place without any warning, and it remained unclear whether the intended target was killed. Israel generally claims that such drone strikes target members of the Hezbollah militant group.

What is the latest situation in Israel and Lebanon?

On Monday, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a US-brokered deal under which Israel would halt attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs while Hezbollah would halt attacks on northern Israel.

The deal came just hours after Israel announced plans to launch attacks on sprawling urban neighborhoods near Lebanon’s capital, in what would mark the most intense bombardment since a nominal ceasefire came into force on April 17.

The State Department confirmed on Tuesday that progress had been made on the opening day of talks. Lebanon is trying to expand the scope of the ceasefire to cover the entire country. Israel demands the immediate disarmament of Hezbollah before completing its operations in Lebanon and withdrawing its forces from many villages and towns.

Shortly after the attack on Khaldah, the Israeli military announced that it had intercepted what it described as enemy aircraft approaching from southern Lebanon, but refrained from directly attributing responsibility to Hezbollah. Hezbollah has not claimed any cross-border attacks since the agreement was reached.