President Donald Trump arrived at the Group of Seven summit in France this week with a freshly struck agreement with Iran to promote, a restless Israeli ally to rein in, and a well-worn message for the rest of the world: he had accomplished what no one else would.
What followed was a diplomatic week that resembled less a traditional summit and more a rolling Trump showcase — part peace announcement, part airing of grievances, part test of who stands with him.
The harshest words were directed at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose recent military strikes in Lebanon infuriated Washington at precisely the moment President Trump was working to finalize a deal with Tehran. Speaking in Évian-les-Bains, Trump said Netanyahu “has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” describing the Beirut strike as “vicious” and “too much.”
Then came the statement that dominated headlines.
“Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel,” Trump said, according to CBS News. “Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did.”
That was far from the only bold claim of the week. In an interview reported by The New York Times and picked up by Israeli media, Trump called Netanyahu “a very difficult guy” and argued the Israeli leader should be thankful for the Iran agreement. “Because if Iran had a nuclear weapon, Israel wouldn’t be around for two hours,” Trump said.
The remarks captured a shifting dynamic in the relationship. Trump continues to portray himself as Israel’s essential defender, but he has grown increasingly willing to speak about Netanyahu as a challenge to be handled rather than an ally to be celebrated.
The frustration had been building for some time. Axios reported earlier this month that Trump exploded at Netanyahu during a profanity-filled phone call over Israeli military escalation in Lebanon, accusing the prime minister of putting US-led Iran negotiations at risk. CBS News reported that Trump later told Fox News he had asked Netanyahu, “What the **** are you doing?” following the Beirut strikes.
Within Israel, political leaders were divided — not on whether Iran poses a threat, but on whether Trump’s deal actually constrains Tehran or simply rewards it. Netanyahu stopped short of a full public break with Washington, saying the decision rests with President Trump while maintaining that Israel must look after its own security. Far-right members of his government were far blunter. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared, “Trump’s agreement does not bind us,” while Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called the deal harmful to Israel and “the entire free world.”
The unease extended beyond Israel. At the G7, French President Emmanuel Macron was caught on a hot microphone telling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that he had experienced a “difficult discussion” with Trump. The candid moment offered a telling look at how other world leaders now navigate their relationship with the American president — carefully, quietly, and preferably without a live microphone nearby.
Trump, for his part, framed the Iran agreement as a demonstration of American leverage rather than a concession. He said the memorandum of understanding explicitly bars Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and indicated he was open to sending the deal to Congress for review. He also issued a stark warning, saying “all hell will rain down” if Tehran attempts to develop a bomb.
For Israel, the week laid bare an uncomfortable new reality. Trump remains popular, powerful, and verbally committed to Israel’s continued existence. But that support now arrives alongside public criticism, transactional expectations, and a clear message that Netanyahu must not stand in the way of the deal Trump intends to claim as his own achievement.
