United States President Donald Trump has declared that Israel owes its very existence to him, issuing a stark warning to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the ongoing conflict in Lebanon.
Speaking on Tuesday at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump made the explosive claim amid growing friction between the two long-time allies over Washington’s recent ceasefire agreement with Iran.
“Without us, 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,” Trump told reporters.
The US president’s remarks came just a day after Netanyahu defiantly announced that Israeli troops would remain in Lebanon despite the US-brokered truce with Tehran. The US and Iran had announced on Sunday that they had reached an agreement to end the regional war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
But Netanyahu made his position clear on Monday: “I want to make clear: We will remain in the security zones as long as required in order to defend our country. The struggle has not ended.”
The Israeli leader’s defiance was underscored by an air strike in a Beirut suburb carried out shortly after Trump unveiled the deal with Iran – a move that clearly angered the US president.
Trump Demands Restraint
Expressing visible frustration in France, Trump said too many lives had been lost in Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah, describing the conflict as having dragged on “too long.”
“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you,” the US president said.
He went further, suggesting Israel should reconsider its approach to the militant group: “I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because, to be honest with you, I think they’re doing a better job of doing it.”
Trump, who has long boasted of his close relationship with Netanyahu – whom he affectionately calls “Bibi” – made it clear that patience was wearing thin.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump said.
The public rebuke marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two allies, who have found themselves increasingly at odds over the path to peace in the Middle East. While the Trump administration has positioned itself as the architect of the ceasefire with Iran, Netanyahu has signalled that Israel will prioritise its own security interests regardless of US wishes.
Trump’s claim that he alone is responsible for Israel’s existence is likely to spark controversy, though it aligns with his long-standing pattern of taking personal credit for US foreign policy successes, particularly his administration’s role in brokering the Abraham Accords.
The G7 summit confrontation suggests that while the US remains Israel’s most powerful ally, the relationship is entering a new and more contentious phase as both leaders stake out divergent paths on the future of the region.
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