US President Donald Trump reportedly called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crazy in a profane phone call over threats to bomb Beirut, fearing it would undermine peace talks with Iran. The incident highlights growing tensions between the two allies amid political pressures.
WASHINGTON: They went to war together against Iran, but Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu ’s relationship is under strain after the US president reportedly called the Israel i premier “crazy.
” Trump unleashed a profane tirade over the phone at Netanyahu over Israel’s threats to bomb the Lebanese capital Beirut, fearing it would undermine talks with Tehran, the Axios news outlet and ABC News reported. It underscored the increasingly shaky ties between two right-wing allies with lots to lose politically from the Middle East war – and who both face criticism for being in hock to the other.
Trump wants a way out of a war that has badly hit the US economy less than six months before midterm elections, which will decide if his Republican party keeps control of Congress. The second-term Republican president, 79, also faces growing criticism from parts of his Make America Great Again coalition that he is doing Israel’s bidding in the Iran war.
Israel’s veteran prime minister meanwhile faces the possible collapse of his right-wing coalition and is under fire for bowing to Trump on matters of security after calling off a plan to attack Beirut.
‘Everybody hates you’ “You’re f**king crazy. 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,” Axios quoted Trump as shouting at Netanyahu in the call on Monday. Israeli media have rejected the account of the conversation. A White House official referred AFP to Trump’s Truth Social posts from Monday when asked to confirm Axios’s account of the call and to comment on the state of the relationship with Netanyahu.
In his posts, Trump thanked Netanyahu for what he said was an agreement to pull troops back from Beirut and to “stop the shooting” with Hezbollah. Iran had reportedly halted peace talks because of Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. But analysts said it was not the first time they had fallen out, nor would it be the last.
“The fact of personal tensions between Netanyahu and US presidents is not new,” former ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, now a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council, told AFP. “In fact, he has a perfect record of reaching that point of frustration with every US president he’s worked with. ” Netanyahu has been trying to persuade US presidents for three decades to attack Iran over its nuclear programme, but in Trump he finally found an ideological bedfellow.
The Israeli premier met Trump on multiple occasions since his return to power and was instrumental in getting the US leader over the line in February when he was still deciding whether to go to war, the New York Times reported recently. As it drags on, both the war and his alliance with Netanyahu are proving politically costly.
‘Dying to stay in power’ Former Trump allies like broadcaster Tucker Carlson and ex-congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene accuse him of letting Israel drag the United States into another Middle East war. This, they say, is against the “America First” principles the MAGA movement represents.
“Support of Israel seems to mean our guys are going to die,” former Fox News host Megyn Kelly said on her show recently. The Republican party has long been staunchly pro-Israel but it is becoming increasingly divided on the issue. Some 57% of Republicans ages 18 to 49 have an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 50% last year, a Pew Research poll showed in April.
The Iran war’s effect on prices threatens Republican chances in November’s midterm elections – and if Democrats retake control of Congress then Trump could face impeachment for the third time. For Netanyahu – with open war fronts in Lebanon, Iran and Gaza, and a string of corruption charges at home – the stakes are arguably higher.
“Netanyahu is dying to stay in power,” Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group told AFP. “Trump is trying to figure out a way out of it, and he clearly has a lot of leverage over Netanyahu. Netanyahu can’t just go against Trump. ” She added that Trump was “trying to move forward, and Netanyahu is still trying to go back to war. That’s the main divergence here. ”
Please follow us on Google to support us Trump Netanyahu Iran War Israel Middle East
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump says Iran really wants to make a deal with the USANGELES CITY, Philippines: The death toll from the collapse of a nine-story building under construction in Barangay Balibago rose to 10 on May 31 after rescuers recovered four more bodies from the wreckage, exactly one week after the tragedy.
Read more »
Gold slips on stronger dollar, oil as markets await Trump decision on IranSINGAPORE: Individuals who have completely lost their driving licences but still get behind the wheel will face, as a starting point, three weeks' jail and a two-year driving ban for driving without a valid licence.
Read more »
Iran Blames Israeli Strikes on Lebanon for Hindering US-Iran TalksIranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated that ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanon are the main factor preventing an agreement between Tehran and Washington. He also accused the United States of responsibility due to its support for Israel. This comes amidst escalated tensions in West Asia following strikes earlier in the year and a failed ceasefire brokered by Pakistan.
Read more »
Trump says Israel and Hezbollah agree to halt fighting as Iran talks regain momentumWASHINGTON, June 2 — US President Donald Trump said yesterday that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to stop fighting, adding that Iran talks were moving rapidly after seeming...
Read more »