Crack in relationship? Netanyahu frustrated with Trump: Says the right things – but doesn't deliver
In recent closed-door conversations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed frustration with President Donald Trump's actions in the Middle East. Netanyahu reportedly told his aides that while Trump says the right things during their meetings and phone calls, particularly about Iran and Syria, his practical steps do not match those statements.
Ariel Kahana
Israel Hayom
May 4, 2025
Netanyahu has voiced particular concern over Trump's support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in consolidating control over Syria. This comes even as Trump gave Israel a green light, if not more, to take any action it deems necessary in Syria.
Concern over the dismissal of National Security Adviser Waltz
Netanyahu was also displeased with Trump's decision to initiate negotiations with Iran and the concessions the US administration was, at certain points, prepared to offer Tehran.
Last week, the prime minister expressed concern over the removal of National Security Adviser Mike Waltz from his position. Waltz is known for his hawkish stance on Iran and the Middle East. However, it is believed that the temporary appointment of Marco Rubio to the role, along with his tough demands toward Iran, has somewhat eased Jerusalem's concerns.
Trump addressed the issue during an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press," in which he discussed the possibility of allowing Iran to pursue a civilian nuclear program as part of a future deal. "I think I'd be open to hearing about it... it's called civilian energy, but you know, civilian energy often leads to military conflict, and we don't want them to have nuclear weapons. That's the simple deal," he said.
Yesterday, The Washington Post reported that one of the reasons for Waltz's dismissal as White House national security adviser was that he had held "intense discussions" with Netanyahu about a possible military strike on Iran just hours before a planned Trump-Netanyahu summit. Netanyahu has denied the report.
On Thursday, Trump announced that Waltz would be reassigned as US ambassador to the United Nations, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio taking over his role.
Mike Waltz and Trump.
It is worth recalling that in the context of the secret chat scandal, senior members of the Trump administration, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Vice President Vance, Waltz, and others, discussed US strike plans in Yemen.
During the chat, which The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added to, officials shared classified information in an unsecured chat. Among other things, they revealed that Israel had provided the intelligence that led to the assassination of a senior Houthi figure. Waltz was blamed for adding Goldberg to the conversation.
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