An Israeli official is disputing claims that President Donald Trump hurled profanity and personal insults at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call Monday regarding Lebanon military operations, contradicting a published media account.
“Trump did not get into personal insults with Netanyahu,” said the Israeli source with knowledge of the conversation, explaining that any tension in the discussion centered on “the statements by each side” following their talk.
The disputed account, published Monday by Axios, described a phone call between the two leaders that reportedly grew heated over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and ceasefire discussions.
According to the Axios story, which cited two administration officials and another source, President Trump expressed opposition to Israeli plans to destroy buildings in Beirut while targeting Hezbollah commanders, allegedly asking Netanyahu: “What the f*ck are you doing?”
The media report also claimed President Trump referenced his past support for Netanyahu regarding the prime minister’s legal issues 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.”
The news outlet said White House tensions escalated after Iran threatened to withdraw from talks with Washington due to Israeli military actions in Lebanon. The story indicated that US and Iranian representatives are in discussions about a comprehensive agreement that would include measures to stop the Lebanon fighting.
While the report stated US officials support Israel’s right to defend against Hezbollah attacks, they expressed worry about the extent of Israeli operations in Lebanon. Axios quoted a senior US official saying Netanyahu responded to President Trump: “Okay, okay, just make sure everything is handled.”
The Prime Minister’s Office refused to provide comment on the details contained in the Axios story.
Netanyahu subsequently offered a different characterization of the discussion, stating he had informed President Trump that Israel would conduct strikes in Beirut if Hezbollah maintained its attacks on Israeli territory. He also indicated that military actions in southern Lebanon would continue and that Israel’s stance remained unchanged.
The choice to cancel the planned Beirut strikes prompted backlash from multiple Israeli political leaders. Former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff and Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot characterized President Trump’s involvement as “a humiliating demand, one that is blatantly unreasonable.” Eisenkot also stated 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 condemned Netanyahu for what he viewed as treating Israel like a US protectorate. Lapid also demanded a “powerful response” to rocket attacks from Lebanon, stating that “the responsibility for the security of Israeli citizens lies solely with the Israeli government.”
