Francesca Rudkin: What the call between Trump and Netanyahu suggests

I normally do not respond positively to the way President Trump speaks about and to people. 

But a little part of me understood the way the President allegedly spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in a phone call yesterday. 

On his social media page it was all very polite, which is kind of unusual – with Trump saying 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". 

However, a US news outlet and the UK’s The Telegraph both reported sources who claimed Trump ripped shreds off Bibi. 

"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." 

It’s like something you’d hear on a reality show like Love Island – an unadulterated release of frustration. 

It’s been just over three months since Operation Epic Fury was launched, just under two months of a ceasefire and negotiations. Everyone is over the price of fuel. Trump’s approval ratings are tanking.  

So, when oil prices surged again this week after Iran announced it would seek a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz in reaction to Israel’s military actions in Lebanon, Trump clearly decided to just say it like it is. 

Benjamin Netanyahu played a significant role in drawing Donald Trump into the war with Iran by convincing him that military action could quickly weaken Tehran, halt its nuclear ambitions, and potentially destabilize the Iranian regime. But for all that, Trump is responsible for the situation that US find themselves in; he is responsible for US policy regardless of any outside influence.  

But as Trump tries to find a face-saving exit from this conflict, Netanyahu is keen to keep the pressure on, making it harder for Trump to end this war.   

Netanyahu is concerned an early settlement could leave Iran's government intact and capable of rebuilding its military and nuclear infrastructure. From this perspective, a ceasefire without major strategic gains would risk leaving Israel in a worse security position than before the conflict began. Continued American involvement also provides Israel with military, diplomatic, and political support that it could not easily replace on its own.  

But if this expletive laden call suggests anything, it’s that Trump's patience is wearing thin and that he is becoming increasingly frustrated with actions by the Israeli Prime Minister that are undermining US efforts to de-escalate the wider conflict and pursue negotiations with Iran.  

Natanyahu took notice, with Israel calling off planned strikes in Lebanon against Hezbollah. But given he’s a man who has built career around opposing Tehran, who knows how long this will last. 

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