Trump increasingly critical of Netanyahu, accuses him of trying to ‘bomb everyone’

President Trump’s telephone conversations with Israel’s prime minister have reportedly grown increasingly hostile, with the president demanding Israel “stop blowing up buildings” and saying Netanyahu is unmanageable.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump’s frequent phone calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have grown increasingly hostile as the two leaders clash over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon and the terms of Washington’s emerging deal with Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The report said Trump urged Netanyahu in a recent call to “stop blowing up buildings,” referring to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, where the US administration is seeking to stabilize a ceasefire and prevent renewed escalation with Hezbollah.

According to the report, Trump has told advisers he is frustrated by Netanyahu’s push for continued military action, saying the Israeli premier wants to “bomb everyone.”

Trump reportedly described Netanyahu as unmanageable and said he “wants to blow up everyone.”

A senior administration official quoted in the report described a recurring pattern in the calls between the two leaders.

“Bibi tells the president why he needs to blow something up, and why Israeli intelligence knows how to do it, and when to do it, and the president listens,” the official said. “The calls are usually the same.”

The report said Trump and Netanyahu have remained in regular contact throughout the regional war, but that the tone has changed as Trump tries to advance a US-Iran memorandum of understanding and Netanyahu argues for keeping military pressure on Iran and its allies.

The tension has been especially visible over Lebanon. Trump publicly criticized Netanyahu earlier this week, saying Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah had become too long and too destructive.

“Netanyahu happens to be a good man, gets a little excited sometimes,” Trump told reporters. “We have a little dispute over Lebanon. I say you can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don’t have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that’s from Hezbollah.”

The Wall Street Journal also described a separate call in which Trump raised concern that economic damage from the Iran war could leave him linked to former US president Herbert Hoover and the failures associated with the Great Depression.

The reported disputes come as Washington pushes ahead with an agreement with Tehran aimed at extending a ceasefire and opening a 60-day negotiating period.

Israel was not a party to the talks and has said it will not accept limits on its ability to act against Hezbollah or Iranian-backed forces.

Netanyahu has voiced skepticism about Iran’s willingness to honor any agreement and has pressed for stronger verification and continued Israeli freedom of action.

According to the report, Israeli officials were surprised by Trump’s ceasefire announcement and had expected him to be more open to additional military action.

Trump has also sharpened his public criticism of Netanyahu.

Earlier this month, Trump confirmed that he called the Israeli leader “f**king crazy” during a phone call. Axios later reported that Trump told Netanyahu he had “no f**king judgment” after an Israeli strike on Hezbollah in Beirut.

The dispute marks a shift in the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu, who had been closely aligned during previous phases of the conflict. Trump has increasingly presented the Iran framework as a way to end the war and reduce regional tensions, while Netanyahu has argued that Israel must continue acting until threats from Iran and Hezbollah are removed.

Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have said Israeli forces will maintain security zones in Lebanon, Gaza and Syria as long as needed to protect Israel’s borders. The Trump administration, however, has pushed for restraint in Lebanon as part of a broader diplomatic effort involving Iran and regional de-escalation.

The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to the Wall Street Journal’s request for comment.