US President Donald Trump has claimed that Israel would not exist without his support, as tensions between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appear to be intensifying over Israel’s military actions in Lebanon. Speaking alongside Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the G7 summit, Trump said no previous US President had done as much for Israel as he had.
“Without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did. Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved,” Trump said, according to the reports.
His remarks came as he urged Netanyahu to exercise greater caution over Israel’s strikes in Lebanon, warning that such actions could undermine efforts to secure a peace agreement with Iran.
While insisting that his relationship with the Israeli leader remained strong, Trump said Netanyahu needed to act more responsibly.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” he said.
Reflecting on Lebanon’s decline, Trump added: “Lebanon used to be a great country. It was a country where you had professors, doctors, lawyers. The great intellect was in Lebanon. Now it’s just terrible.”
The comments followed reports that Trump was angered by Israeli strikes on Beirut carried out shortly before a proposed US-Iran agreement was due to be signed.
Israel said the operation targeted a Hezbollah site in the Lebanese capital. Speaking to Axios, Trump said he was taken aback when advisers informed him of the attack, particularly after both sides had reportedly agreed to avoid military action.
“It is so bad – I couldn’t believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal,” he said.
Trump also criticised Netanyahu’s judgement during the episode.
“Why did Bibi have to do a f*cking attack? I was so p*ssed off. I let him know. He has no f*cking judgement. I let him know that,” he told Axios.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said any agreement with Washington would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory captured during the conflict.
“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” Araghchi said.
However, a US official said the proposed agreement contains no provision requiring an Israeli withdrawal. Netanyahu has also maintained that Israeli forces will remain in Lebanon “as long as necessary”.
