Trump Explosion: “You’re crazy, you’d be in jail without me
Trump called Netanyahu "crazy" and accused him of ingratitude during a heated phone call over Israeli military operations in Lebanon, despite publicly describing the conversation as productive.
A stormy phone call took place between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, according to a report by Axios citing two American officials and a third source with knowledge of the conversation.
The trigger was the escalation of Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which according to the American president threatens to derail the ongoing Washington-Tehran negotiations.
The words causing a stir
Trump called Netanyahu “crazy,” accused him of ingratitude, and reportedly told him directly: “You’d be in jail without me. I’m saving your ass. Everyone hates you now. Everyone hates Israel because of this.” An American official briefed on the conversation said that Trump raised his voice at several points, expressing strong displeasure over the Israeli escalation.
The same official said that the American president intervened to prevent an Israeli plan to strike Beirut, warning that such a move would lead to even greater international isolation of Israel.
According to Axios, Trump believes that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hezbollah attacks, but considers its response in recent days to be disproportionate.
American officials also said he is concerned about the large number of civilians killed in Lebanon and disagrees with operations in which entire buildings are destroyed to neutralize a single Hezbollah commander.
Trump’s “double” narrative
Despite the tense climate described by Axios, Trump publicly presented a completely different picture. In a post on the Truth Social platform, he characterized the conversation as “very productive” and stated that it was agreed there would be no Israeli deployment in Beirut, with troops that were en route already recalled.
He added that talks with Iran are continuing at a rapid pace and revealed that there had been contact—through representatives—with Hezbollah as well, an announcement that caused particular sensation: no American president had communicated with the organization in the past, given that the U.S. classifies it as terrorist.
Netanyahu’s response
The Israeli Prime Minister confirmed the conversation, but shared his own perception of its outcome. In a post on X, he stated that he informed Trump that if Hezbollah does not stop attacks on Israeli cities, Israel will strike terrorist targets in Beirut.
He added that this position remains unchanged and that the Israel Defense Forces will continue to operate in southern Lebanon as planned. However, an Israeli official told Axios that for now, no strike against Hezbollah targets in Beirut is planned.
Iran at the center
Trump’s displeasure is directly connected to the nuclear diplomatic game with Tehran. Earlier on Monday, Iran had warned that it might abandon negotiations due to Israeli operations in Lebanon.
According to Axios, the U.S.-Iran memorandum under negotiation includes a clause for ending conflicts in Lebanon, an element at the center of the friction between Trump and Netanyahu.
Trump rushed to assure that Hezbollah agreed to a mutual ceasefire—“Israel won’t attack them and they won’t attack Israel,” he stated—while expressing optimism that a deal with Iran could be sealed next week.
