The conflict between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have escalated into a public war of words.
Trump directly shared an article discussing Netanyahu’s political future to apply pressure, while a prominent Israeli media outlet aligned with Netanyahu fiercely criticized Trump, accusing him of “betraying Israel.”
On the 20th, Trump shared an article titled “Netanyahu’s Shaking Re-election Chances, Trump Holds the Cards” on Truth Social. The article, from a conservative U.S. media outlet, stated that while Trump is “most likely” to support Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s October elections, it also mentioned Netanyahu’s rivals, including former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and lawmaker Gadi Eisenkot.
The piece implied Trump could intervene in the elections, pressuring Netanyahu, who faces three criminal trials over corruption charges and cannot guarantee victory. The article also quoted Trump as saying, “I maintain a good relationship with Bibi [Netanyahu’s nickname], but he needs to be more rational.”
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In contrast, *Israel Hayom*, an Israeli daily owned by the family of the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson—a major Trump donor—published an editorial on the 19th condemning the Iran MOU as a “surrender agreement” and directly criticizing Trump. The newspaper argued, “You have betrayed us, Israel,” and “You could be remembered as the president who brought disgrace to America,” accusing Trump of blocking Israel’s military actions and compromising with Iran.
This criticism carries significant weight, as *Israel Hayom* is a pro-Netanyahu outlet owned by Miriam Adelson, Sheldon Adelson’s widow. Miriam Adelson, one of the Republican Party’s largest political donors, contributed approximately 100 million dollars (about 150 billion Korean won) to the 2024 election campaign. The Adelson couple strongly supported Trump’s policies, including the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and were credited with influencing the Trump administration’s pro-Israel stance.
Analysts suggest that the conflict between Trump and Netanyahu, ahead of potential U.S.-Iran follow-up negotiations, is shifting from personal discord to a full-blown political confrontation.
MSN
