Trump Says Israel Wouldn't Exist Without Him [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jun 16, 2026 at 07:09 AM EDT updated Jun 16, 2026 at 10:34 AM EDT


President Donald Trump signaled a deepening rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by claiming "there would be no Israel" without him in a stinging rebuke at the G7 (Group of Seven) summit.

Trump has displayed increasing frustration with his ally in recent weeks as the United States attempted to strike a peace deal with Iran, before an agreement was eventually reached on Sunday. Trump and Netanyahu ordered joint United States and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28 with the stated aim of destroying the Islamic Republic's ability to make a nuclear weapon.

Speaking alongside Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, at the summit of the world's biggest economies in Évian-les-Bains, France, Trump said: “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.”

"Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved," said Trump, although he denied frustration with Netanyahu, saying the two had “a great relationship,” but he criticized a recent Israeli attack in Lebanon and said too many civilians were being killed. Referring to an unspecified Israeli strike, Trump said: "I saw that attack, I saw where that bomb went. That was vicious." Trump said as he also warned Netanyahu to be "more responsible" with respect to Lebanon.



Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-netanyahu-rift-israel-not-exist-without-potus-12078441