‘The best family…’: Netanyahu responds to Trump’s ‘crazy’ comments, admits ‘tactical differences’
israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu On Thursday he spoke to the President of the United States Donald Trump The two leaders may occasionally have “tactical differences” on how to deal with the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, but stressed that the two leaders remained consistent on key issues and continued to maintain a strong relationship.In an interview with CNBC in Jerusalem, Netanyahu played down reports of a growing rift with Trump following recent tensions over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.“Sometimes, like in the best families, we disagree on tactics. But we always find a way through it, and we do it as good friends,” he said.He added that he and Trump agreed on key goals, particularly preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon and addressing security threats to Israel.“We can disagree in the morning and find common ground in the afternoon,” Netanyahu said.Axios reported that Trump’s comments came after Trump lashed out at Netanyahu during a phone call on Monday over Israel’s escalation in Lebanon. He called Netanyahu “crazy” and accused him of being ungrateful.U.S. officials quoted Trump as saying: “You’re out of your fucking mind. If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail. I’m saving you. Now everyone hates you. Everyone hates Israel for this.”Trump later publicly acknowledged having had a heated phone conversation with the Israeli leader over Israel’s continued military action in Lebanon.In an interview with the New York Post, Trump confirmed reports that he used crude language in a call with Netanyahu, saying he was frustrated by Israeli actions against Israel. Hezbollah Complicating broader diplomatic efforts involving Iran.“I’m a little disturbed by his ongoing conflict with Lebanon,” Trump said.However, the US president also stressed that his relationship with Netanyahu remained strong.“We work very well together. I like Bibi very much. I work very well with him,” Trump added.
Shared goals between Iran and Hezbollah
In an interview with CNBC, Netanyahu said Washington and Tel Aviv remained committed to curbing the influence of Hezbollah, which he described as an Iranian proxy operating in Lebanon.“Hezbollah is a proxy of Iran that holds all Lebanese citizens at gunpoint and uses Lebanon as a platform to launch terrorist missiles into our cities,” Netanyahu said.He believes that any long-term peace arrangement between Israel and Lebanon requires the disarmament of Hezbollah and the demilitarization of Lebanon.“If we want to save Lebanon and achieve Lebanese-Israeli peace, we have to disarm Hezbollah,” he said.
Netanyahu calls Trump Israel’s ‘best friend’
Netanyahu rejected suggestions that relations between the two leaders had deteriorated and praised Trump’s support for Israel.Asked if his relationship with Trump had changed, Netanyahu said: “No.”“It’s a great relationship because he’s the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” he added.Netanyahu pointed to Trump’s past decisions, including recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and supporting Israel on key regional issues, as examples of that support.The exchange comes amid ongoing U.S. efforts to balance military tensions in the region through diplomatic negotiations involving Iran.While Trump expressed optimism about progress in Iran-related negotiations and a broader regional solution, ongoing fighting in Lebanon has become a major concern.Despite differences in strategy, both leaders have publicly insisted that they remain committed to shared security goals and finding a path to regional stability.
