According to a report by Axios on the afternoon of June 1st local time, US President Trump expressed “strong dissatisfaction” with Israel’s escalation of the situation in Lebanon during a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. The report stated that in this “strongly worded” call, Trump accused Netanyahu of “overstepping his bounds” on the Lebanese issue.
According to a US official, Trump warned Netanyahu that bombing Beirut, the Lebanese capital, would “further exacerbate Israel’s isolation in the international community.” According to two sources familiar with the matter, Trump called Netanyahu “crazy” during the call and accused him of being “ungrateful.” One U.S. official relayed Trump’s words: “If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail by now. I’ve been helping you. Now everyone hates you, hates Israel.”
Another source said Trump was “very angry” and even yelled at Netanyahu, “What the hell are you doing?” The report states that Trump does not oppose Israel taking “self-defense action” against Hezbollah’s attacks in Lebanon, but he believes Netanyahu’s recent military escalation in Lebanon is an “overreaction”—in addition to threatening airstrikes on Beirut, the Israeli military has recently expanded its ground operations in southern Lebanon.
The report states that this call was one of the tensest between Trump and Netanyahu since Trump returned to the White House. A major reason for Trump’s anger is that Israel’s escalation of the situation in Lebanon could lead to the breakdown of ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran.