Likud Responds to Trump: Netanyahu Will Run in the Election and, God willing, Win

U.S. President Donald Trump was asked in an ABC interview whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would run again in Israel’s elections, and he replied, “It’s an open question, I don’t know. He’s had an amazing career.” This morning, Wednesday, Likud responded to the president’s remarks, saying, “Prime Minister Netanyahu will run in the upcoming elections and, with God’s help, will win.” Trump made the comments overnight to journalist Jonathan Karl on ABC, and when asked whether Netanyahu wants to continue, the president said, “He’s a wartime prime minister. We’re going to win the war very soon, one way or another.”

Last night, it was reported in the newscast that Netanyahu had revealed to cabinet ministers details of the late-night dialogue he held with Trump, just hours before the aircraft took off to strike in Iran. According to Netanyahu, the American president explicitly asked him “not to attack.” Netanyahu also told the ministers that Trump justified the request by saying, “You had no casualties,” and urged Israel to show restraint, adding, “Don’t hit them back.”

At the same time, Trump told the BBC yesterday that “if I tell Netanyahu to do something, he does it.” He also claimed that all he needed to say to Netanyahu in order to stop the strike was, “Use your head. We’re about to sign a good, powerful agreement.” Even so, the American president claimed Netanyahu did not “disobey him,” because by the time the two spoke, the missiles had already been launched from Israel and “there was nothing to do about it.”

The day before yesterday, Channel 13 News reported that in the marathon talks held by senior officials in Jerusalem with Washington’s political leadership, the prime minister demanded strikes on energy facilities in Iran, but the American president blocked this and told him, “Strike and close the matter.” Israeli sources briefed on the contents of the call made clear that the president meant Israel should act, but “not attack in a way that would lead to war.”

About a week ago, Axios reported that Trump lashed out harshly at the prime minister over threats to strike in the Dahiyeh area of Beirut. An American source summarized Trump’s comments to Netanyahu as, “You’re crazy. If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail. I’m saving you. Everyone hates you now, and everyone hates Israel because of what you’re doing.” Another source familiar with the details of the conversation said the president was furious and shouted at Netanyahu, “What the hell are you doing?”