US President Donald Trump has praised Benjamin Netanyahu as a “great partner.” This came days after Trump reportedly confirmed he had used harsh language with the Israeli leader over the escalation in Lebanon. Speaking at the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump sought to publicly reaffirm his bond with Netanyahu. The warm words followed after Trump admitted calling the Israeli prime minister “fu***ing crazy” during a telephone call earlier in the week.
Donald Trump praises Israeli PM after ‘crazy’ call
Trump left little doubt on Wednesday about where he stood, casting Netanyahu as a dependable ally. “Israel, hey look, they’ve been a great partner. Bibi Netanyahu’s been, for me, a great partner. For other people, not so good. For me, he’s been very good,” he told reporters.
The president tied his endorsement to joint operations against Iran, arguing that Israel could not have acted alone. “We were very effective, what we’ve done. They needed us. They couldn’t have done it without us, couldn’t even come close,” Trump said. He added that Iran posed an existential danger beyond Israel’s borders. “They wouldn’t have stopped with Israel. They would have blown up the Middle East,” Trump claimed.
Despite the Oval Office bonhomie, the friction was real. Donald Trump told the outlet he was “perturbed” by Israel’s constant fighting with Lebanon. The Israeli military had signaled it would bomb Beirut, a prospect that threatened to unravel fragile diplomatic talks between Washington and Tehran. Iran had warned it might enter the war militarily.
On Monday, Trump said he spoke with both Netanyahu and a Hezbollah representative and that the two sides agreed to stop shooting. Yet hostilities in southern Lebanon persisted, even as Israel held back from striking the capital.
Furthermore, Netanyahu, appearing on CNBC the same day, batted away talk of a breakdown in relations. “No, this has been a great relationship because he’s been the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House,” he said.
The Israeli prime minister, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crime charges related to Gaza, framed any disagreement as routine diplomacy between close partners.
Originally reported by Devanshi Basu for Mandatory.
