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The Iran deal seems to have soured the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu.
The relationship between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has seen better days.
The two leaders of the traditional allies seem to have very different approaches to the Iran situation, with Donald Trump celebrating a framework agreement with Iran for further negotiations as a victory, while Israeli officials have denounced the agreement.
There are even discussions over who actually started the war: Did the US launch the attack on its own, or did the US military attack Iran because Israel planned to do so?
While Donald Trump continues to say that he has a good relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, comments from the President at the G7 Summit seem to suggest that he believes Israel should dance more to the tune of the US.
A harsh warning
“Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did. Israel would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved,” he stressed.
The comments highlight weeks of growing friction between the two leaders over Netanyahu’s handling of the conflict.
Trump believes the fighting simply “goes on forever.”
“And when that happens, it casts a negative light on the big deal, and that’s the deal with Iran,” he added.
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Behind closed doors
The friction is not confined to public stages. Axios reported that Netanyahu was kept in the dark about the US peace deal with Iran. This was later confirmed by Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who emphasized that Israel had no part in shaping the agreement.
Tensions boiled over earlier this month during an explosive phone call, when Trump reportedly told Netanyahu that he is “*expletive* crazy”, adding “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.”
At one point, the US leader openly yelled, “What the *expletive* are you doing?”
Trump later confirmed the use of the strong words.
“Israel is not subordinate”
After US President Donald Trump announced the deal with Iran early on Monday, a wave of angry reactions rippled through Israeli political circles.
The most vocal backlash came from a key right-wing leader. Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir quickly slammed the agreement, making it clear that his nation would not follow Washington’s lead blindly.
According to comments cited by Middle East Monitor, Ben-Gvir said, “Israel is not subordinate to the United States. It is an independent and sovereign state, and any agreement reached by Trump does not bind us. We are committed first and foremost to protecting our citizens and soldiers.”
