Donald Trump just went after one of America’s closest allies, and he didn’t hold back. The U.S. President criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military campaign in Lebanon during a summit in France.
Donald Trump slams Netanyahu amid Lebanon campaign
President Donald Trump criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, according to Politico. Trump expressed frustration with Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The remarks came as Trump promoted a U.S.-negotiated peace deal with Iran at a summit in France.
Trump stated that Netanyahu “gets a little excited sometimes.” He added that Israel’s response appeared disproportionate to the threats it faced. “When two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut,” Trump said.
The president acknowledged Israel’s right to defend itself but called for restraint. “I’m not saying they shouldn’t protect themselves,” he said. “They could behave better, and frankly, they could do a better job,” he added.
Trump announced a memorandum of understanding with Iran on Sunday at the summit in Évian-les-Bains, France. However, Israeli strikes on Lebanon continued even after U.S. interlocutors reached the deal. Iran has stated that the memorandum requires Israeli forces to end those hostilities.
Trump also expressed sympathy for Lebanon and its people during his remarks. “Lebanon’s been, you know was a great culture. They had the professors, the doctors, the lawyers,” he said. He described conditions in Beirut as deeply unfair for civilians living near the strikes.
Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu in recent weeks over stalled peace talks. He urged Netanyahu to stop the strikes in a furious phone call at the start of June. He also told the New York Post that “if there wasn’t me, there’d be no Israel right now.”
Trump projected confidence that the U.S. could still work with Israel to resolve the conflict.
Originally reported by Vritti Johar on Mandatory.com.
