Netanyahu Weighs Confronting Trump as Iran Deal Strains Their Alliance

With Israel's election now four months away, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering whether to publicly confront U.S. President Donald Trump after Trump began speaking in ways that Israeli commentators say undermine Netanyahu and Israel's security interests. The article describes Netanyahu as trapped between two risks, angering a powerful and unpredictable Trump, or appearing weak while Trump praises and criticizes him in public.

Trump's latest remarks came at a G7 press conference on June 11, 2026, where he said Iran should be allowed ballistic missiles because other countries have them too, and criticized Israeli military behavior in Lebanon, saying Netanyahu is a "good guy" who sometimes gets excited and that Israel should not demolish a building in Lebanon every time a Hezbollah member enters it. Trump also said his relationship with Netanyahu has been "an amazing partnership," while calling himself the senior partner and Netanyahu the "very junior" one.

The piece says Netanyahu had counted on Trump as a major political asset in the campaign, especially after backing Trump in the 2024 U.S. election and helping him defeat Kamala Harris. That support, the article says, cost Netanyahu support among Democrats, where he is now widely disliked. It also recalls their earlier cooperation, including Trump's White House meetings with Netanyahu and Trump's initial Gaza plan for the voluntary relocation of Palestinians and a future tourism development on the Strip.

The turning point, according to the article, came during the second Iran war, when Netanyahu pushed Trump into joining a U.S. campaign against Iran that began on February 28, but later spiraled out of control. After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz and attacked Gulf states, Trump sought to end the war quickly and, in the article's view, was willing to sacrifice Israeli interests to preserve a deal with Tehran. Netanyahu aides say a pro-Trump campaign was shelved because Trump's popularity in Israel has collapsed, especially among coalition voters, following his insults toward Netanyahu. A senior Likud minister told the writer that Netanyahu is seriously weighing a move against Trump because standing up for Israel's security could earn him points with voters, but doing so could also damage U.S. military aid, diplomatic backing, and even expose Netanyahu to further personal attacks from Trump.