Source: Radio New Zealand (world)
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Photo: AFP / Jim Watson
US President Donald Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “everyone hates you” during an expletive-filled phone call.
The claim comes as Israel called off planned strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah, after the two sides agreed to stop fighting.
Trump called it a “very good call”. But US news outlet Axios said he called Netanyahu “crazy”, while UK’s The Telegraph reported two sources claiming Trump told Netanyahu he had kept him out of jail.
“You’re f***ing crazy. You’d be in prison if it weren’t for me,” the US president allegedly said, referring to Netanyahu’s corruption trial. “I’m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Another source told The Telegraph Trump was “p****” [sic] and asked Netanyahu, “What the f*** are you doing?”
On his social media page, Trump said he had a “very productive call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, and there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back”.
“Likewise, through highly placed Representatives, I had a very good call with Hezbollah, and they agreed that all shooting will stop – That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.”
He added talks with Iran were “continuing, at a rapid pace”. The US and Israel attacked Iran in February, sparking a global oil crisis after Iran restricted passage through a key passageway, the Strait of Hormuz, which it neighbours.
Earlier, Trump said he did not care if talks with Iran collapsed because they had gotten “very boring”.
He also told NBC they had been “talking too much”.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to go and start dropping bombs all over there. We’ll just go silent. We’ll keep the blockade. Blockade is a piece of steel.”
Netanyahu later said Israel would strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut if they did not “cease attacking our towns and our citizens”, AFP reported.
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