Donald Trump has bluntly told Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel “wouldn’t survive” without the United States, hours before their first meeting since the start of the war with Iran. The US president made the cutting remark on board Air Force One as he travelled to Michigan, setting the stage for a pivotal White House encounter on Tuesday.
“Frankly we’re being very nice to a lot of countries that would not survive without us. And you know who wouldn’t survive without us? Israel,” Trump said. “Bibi’s coming, he’ll tell you.”
“Trump says Israel 'wouldn't survive' without US, meeting Netanyahu amid Iran war divisions.”
The meeting comes at a decisive moment in the conflict that began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran. Netanyahu’s February visit to Washington was widely seen as triggering the war, and his stated goals included degrading Iran’s military, eradicating its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, and toppling its government. Trump announced the death of Iran’s supreme leader in the opening barrage and urged Iranians to “take back” their country.
But the allies’ interests have since diverged. While Trump sought a quick win, Netanyahu wanted to vanquish Iran and its allies even if it required an extended conflict. A ceasefire brokered by the US collapsed, and after nearly two weeks of airstrikes by both sides, a fresh pause has taken hold. The US paused strikes over the weekend, with its UN ambassador saying that was to “give space to diplomacy”.
Trump now says talks are under way with Iran, while insisting he is ready for “strong military action” if those talks fail. He told reporters Monday that new meetings were requested directly by Iranian officials, who reached out “because we’ve been hitting them very hard”. “We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,” he said. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, good. If it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.” Asked if his patience was wearing thin, Trump replied: “I have plenty of time.”
Tensions are also simmering over F-35 fighter jets. Netanyahu has made clear he does not want Turkey – not a friend of Israel – to receive the American-made aircraft. But Trump, in an apparent rebuff, said “nobody tells me what we should be selling”. He called Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan “a great ally” and “a friend of mine”, praising his handling of Syria. Trump has not ruled out selling the jets to Ankara.
Asked if he and Netanyahu are on the same page regarding the war, Trump said: “We have a little difference but pretty close, yeah.” With the ceasefire in the balance and Israeli and US interests no longer aligned, Tuesday’s meeting may determine whether diplomacy or further military action lies ahead.