New book says Trump erupted at Netanyahu in tense Gaza ceasefire call

A new U.S.-published book says Donald Trump shouted at Benjamin Netanyahu during a fraught phone call held days before the public announcement of the deal to end the Gaza war and weeks before the hostage agreement. According to reporting by Ynet on the book, written by New York Times journalists Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, Jared Kushner and White House envoy Steve Witkoff were also on the line.

The book says Trump told Netanyahu, “Everybody’s tired of you, Bibi. Even the Jews on this call are tired of you.” The call took place during the UN General Assembly in September, as Trump was promoting his 20-point plan to end the war that began after Hamas’s October 7 attack. The authors describe the two weeks before the deal as a period of sharp tension between Washington and Jerusalem.

One flashpoint, they say, was Israel’s strike on senior Hamas figures in Qatar, a day after Kushner, Witkoff and Ron Dermer met in Miami to discuss plans for the day after the war in Gaza. After that strike, Kushner and Witkoff reportedly said, “Dermer lied to us.” The book also says Kushner angrily told associates, “I’m out, the Israelis are crazy,” though he later changed course after concluding the crisis could pressure Netanyahu into accepting a deal.

During the UN gathering, Kushner and Witkoff met Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and showed him the draft American proposal. The book says Al Thani revised the document himself, and it later became the basis for Trump’s peace plan. Trump presented the deal to Arab and Muslim leaders before showing it to Netanyahu, while Witkoff and Kushner stayed on the call fearing Netanyahu would try to persuade Trump to back away.

According to the book, Trump then yelled at Netanyahu, saying, “You can’t back away from this. I am the best friend Israel ever had. Everybody hates you, and I stood by you.” Trump said it was a good deal for Israel, and Netanyahu agreed. Two days later, Trump and Netanyahu unveiled the move at a joint press conference, even though the agreement had not yet been formally signed. It was signed on the evening of October 8, and soon afterward the last 20 living hostages remaining in Gaza were released. The book also repeats other claims that Trump called Netanyahu a “conman” and said the Israeli leader never wanted peace.