The Media Line: Israeli Source Denies President Trump Insulted Netanyahu  

Israeli Source Denies President Trump Insulted Netanyahu  

By The Media Line Staff  

An Israeli source denies that US President Donald Trump used vulgarities and insulted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday over the Lebanon conflict, contrary to an Axios report.   

“Trump did not get into personal insults with Netanyahu,” the Israeli source familiar with the matter said, adding that the tense exchange focused  on “the statements by each side” after the conversation.  

Axios reported Monday that a phone conversation between President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became increasingly confrontational over Israel’s military campaign in Lebanon and the proposed ceasefire arrangement.   

Citing two administration officials and another source, Axios said President Trump objected to plans to demolish buildings in Beirut in an effort to target Hezbollah commanders, asking Netanyahu: “What the f*ck are you doing?”  

According to the report, President Trump also invoked the support he had given Netanyahu in connection with the prime minister’s legal troubles in Israel. Axios reported that President Trump told Netanyahu: “You’re f*cking crazy. You’d be in jail if it weren’t for me. I’m saving your ass. Everyone hates you now, and everyone hates Israel because of this.”  

Axios said tensions inside the White House grew after Iran threatened to abandon negotiations with Washington over Israeli military actions in Lebanon. The report noted that US and Iranian officials are discussing a broad memorandum of understanding that includes provisions related to ending the fighting in Lebanon.  

The report said US officials back Israel’s right to defend itself from Hezbollah attacks but have concerns about the scope of Israeli operations in Lebanon. According to Axios, a senior US official said Netanyahu replied to President Trump: “Okay, okay, just make sure everything is handled.”  

The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the specifics of the Axios report.  

Netanyahu later described the conversation differently, saying he had made clear to President Trump that Israel would carry out strikes in Beirut if Hezbollah continued firing into Israeli territory. He also said military operations in southern Lebanon would proceed and that Israel’s policy had not changed.  

The decision to halt the planned Beirut strikes drew criticism from several Israeli political figures. Former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff and Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot described President Trump’s intervention as “a humiliating demand, one that is blatantly unreasonable.” Eisenkot also said Netanyahu “is the man who preached morals to everyone about the basic need to be a prime minister and know how to say ‘no’ to the President of the United States.”  

Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized Netanyahu for, in his view, treating Israel as though it were a US protectorate. Lapid also called for a “powerful response” to rocket fire from Lebanon, writing that “the responsibility for the security of Israeli citizens lies solely with the Israeli government.”