Israelis believe the public clash between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu masks a deeper crisis, one that could soon turn into practical pressure from Washington. According to Israeli officials speaking to Maariv, the US push for Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the Syrian side of Mount Hermon is not easing, and may intensify ahead of the expected signing on Friday of a memorandum of understanding with Iran. They warn that if Israel keeps resisting, the dispute could move beyond harsh rhetoric to delayed weapons shipments, limits on security assistance, and steps that would amount in practice to an arms embargo.
Trump made the dispute public on Thursday at a press conference after the G7 summit in France. He said, “With all due respect to Netanyahu, he is a very good man, but sometimes he gets too excited,” adding that Israel should be “a little more delicate” in Lebanon and not “bring down an entire building every time.” He also criticized a recent strike in Beirut, saying it was unnecessary, and said Israel could do better in its approach to Hezbollah.
In closed talks, Israeli officials say the US demands include an Israeli withdrawal from the “five points” in southern Lebanon, departure from Mount Hermon in Syria, and a major reduction in military activity that could endanger the deal with Tehran. Netanyahu has reportedly rejected full withdrawal, insisting Israel will not give up its security gains in the north. The concern in Jerusalem is that Trump is trying to secure Israeli concessions there in exchange for the Iran agreement.
Trump also downplayed the danger of Iran’s ballistic missile program, rejecting calls to deny Tehran any missiles and saying such views are not “smart.” He told Netanyahu, “The biggest danger for you is that they will drop a nuclear bomb in the center of Israel. So this is a good deal for you.” Trump said he has already shown Israel a draft of the emerging accord, which could be signed within days, and added, “If I don’t like it, we’ll go back to dropping bombs.” Israeli officials worry that even if that leaves room for future military action, the deal itself will create a new political reality that pressures Israel to restrain itself in the north. Behind the scenes, efforts are under way to smooth things over with the White House, including a possible meeting with Trump or a senior delegation to Washington, but no response has been received so far.
