By Ghazali Ibrahim
United States President Donald Trump has confirmed reports of a tense phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which he sharply criticized Israel’s continued military actions against Lebanon.
Speaking in an interview published Wednesday by the New York Post, Trump acknowledged using strong language while expressing frustration over Israel’s military posture.
When asked whether he told Netanyahu, “Are you f-ing crazy? What are you f-ing doing? I helped you stay out of jail,” Trump replied: “I did.”
The US president explained that he was troubled by what he described as Israel’s persistent fighting with Lebanon.
“I was a little bit perturbed at his constantly fighting with Lebanon,” Trump said. “I said, ‘Bibi, we gotta stop this.’”
Despite the confrontation, Trump stressed that his relationship with the Israeli leader remains strong.
“We’ve done well together. I like Bibi a lot,” he said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
According to reports by Axios and ABC News, Trump’s outburst was triggered by concerns that Israeli threats to launch attacks on Beirut could derail ongoing diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the wider conflict in the Middle East.
The dispute highlights growing strains between the two long-time allies amid a regional crisis that escalated after military action against Iran in late February and subsequently expanded to involve Israel and Lebanon.
However, Israeli media outlets have disputed accounts of the conversation.
A White House official directed attention to Trump’s posts on Truth Social on Monday, where the president thanked Netanyahu for what he described as an agreement to pull Israeli forces back from Beirut.
The latest developments come as diplomatic efforts continue to revive negotiations with Iran, which reportedly suspended peace talks in response to Israeli military operations in Lebanon.
