“If it weren’t for Donald Trump, Israel would have been eviscerated.” That was the line President Trump chose in an Axios interview on June 19, 2026, when asked about his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He called the relationship “good,” and in the same breath said “we have to keep him a little bit sane,” as TASS quoted him. International Business Times reported that Trump pointed to American military help, including B-2 bombers, and claimed real sway over Israeli decisions. They “do as I say,” he said, and they have “respect for me.”
Lebanon front
The interview followed days of renewed fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that put a fresh ceasefire framework at risk. A truce took effect on Friday after intense clashes, though violations were reportedly logged soon afterward.
Trump has been publicly pressing Netanyahu on Lebanon for weeks. At the Group of Seven summit earlier in the week he suggested a “softer touch.” Earlier in June, Axios broke news of a phone call in which Trump angrily confronted Netanyahu over Israeli threats to resume airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Al-Monitor reported that Trump told him: “Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this.”
Trump later confirmed the heated exchange and acknowledged using strong language, describing Netanyahu as “crazy.” His worry, according to the reporting, was that continued strikes would derail negotiations with Iran. Iran had warned that attacks in Lebanon were undermining talks to end the war.
Reaction in Israel
Israeli officials defended the operations, saying Hezbollah attacks demanded a response. Trump insisted in the Axios interview that he and Netanyahu “worked well” together.
Israel is not at the table in the direct U.S.-Iran negotiations, which Pakistan is mediating, Al-Monitor noted. After the earlier call, Trump announced that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to halt hostilities. Opposition leader Yair Lapid reacted by calling the arrangement a “total protectorate.”
Sources
- Trump Says He Has To Keep Netanyahu 'A Little Bit Sane' As Tensions Surface Over Lebanon Fighting
- Trump says has to keep Netanyahu 'a little bit sane'
- Trump's 'Crazy' Rebuke Undercuts Netanyahu at a Critical Moment
