The US President Donald Trump sharply rebuked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a tense and confrontational phone call over Israel’s ongoing massacre in Gaza and its hawkish approach toward Iran. Israeli media, including Channel 12 and Channel 13, confirm that the May 25 phone call between the two allies was anything but diplomatic, exposing a rupture in one of the world’s most controversial political partnerships.
The discussion reportedly covered Israel’s continued bombardment of Gaza and Netanyahu’s aggressive push for preemptive strikes on Iran. It ended without consensus, with Trump reportedly warning Netanyahu that Israel’s conduct is costing it vital support—even from its staunchest defenders.
Trump warns Netanyahu: “You are alienating the world”
Sources briefed on the call told The Times of Israel that Trump raised grave concerns about the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza. According to the latest data from the Gaza Health Ministry, over 53,900 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war in October 2023. At least 70% of the dead are civilians, including tens of thousands of women and children. Another 122,000 have been injured, with hundreds of thousands displaced or trapped under siege conditions.
A senior source quoted by Channel 13 said Trump told Netanyahu:
“You’re losing the narrative. You’re losing America. And you’re losing the world.”
According to the report, Trump demanded that Netanyahu halt his air campaign in Rafah and northern Gaza, where hospitals, UN shelters, and refugee camps have been targeted. He allegedly told the Israeli premier that such actions were indefensible even by Republican standards.
Trump—whose own administration cut aid to Palestinians and moved the US embassy to Jerusalem—now appears concerned about political blowback ahead of the 2026 midterms and a potential 2028 presidential bid.
Netanyahu erupts: “Israel doesn’t wait for permission”
Netanyahu reportedly grew livid during the call, accusing Trump of “parroting liberal media talking points.” Israeli insiders told Haaretz that Netanyahu responded:
“Israel doesn’t wait for permission to defend itself. We will finish Hamas with or without your support.”
He further claimed that all strikes were “surgical” and “based on precision intelligence,” despite documented evidence from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International of mass civilian casualties, the use of white phosphorus, and deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure.
Netanyahu’s aggression shocked even those in Trump’s inner circle. A Republican source told Axios:
“Even Trump was rattled. He told aides after the call, ‘Bibi has gone too far this time.’”
Another breaking point
Trump also clashed with Netanyahu over Iran. The Israeli prime minister is pushing for the US to support a unilateral Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities—an idea Trump flatly rejected.
According to the Axios, Trump said:
“I still believe a deal with the Iranians is possible. We don’t need another endless war in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu reportedly interrupted:
“Iran is weeks away from breakout. Israel can’t rely on soft diplomacy.”
This divergence reflects an emerging fault line within the pro-Israel bloc of American politics. Trump’s MAGA base is increasingly skeptical of foreign entanglements, while Netanyahu is doubling down on war and regional escalation.
Personal grudges resurface
The tension was not only geopolitical—it was personal. Trump is still bitter over Netanyahu’s swift congratulations to President Joe Biden in 2020. He reportedly told Netanyahu:
“I gave you everything—Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, billions in aid—and you turned on me.”
Aides present said the call degenerated into a shouting match, with Trump accusing Netanyahu of dragging the US into “a public relations nightmare” and Netanyahu accusing Trump of “abandoning Israel.”
Even Trump is now distancing himself
The fact that Trump—Israel’s most loyal advocate in the White House—has expressed outrage at Israel’s conduct suggests a dramatic shift in political winds. With protests erupting across US campuses, and several NATO allies recognizing Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu’s position is becoming increasingly precarious.
According to a Reuters, even Western diplomats are now discussing sanctions on top Israeli officials. Spain and Norway have frozen arms transfers. The ICC has reactivated investigations into war crimes committed during the siege of Gaza.
Netanyahu’s war is backfiring
The Trump-Netanyahu call marks a symbolic break in a toxic alliance. What once united them—shared populism, disdain for international law, and ethno-nationalist policy—is now becoming a point of fracture. As Israel sinks deeper into a self-inflicted humanitarian crisis, even its strongest historical backers are turning away.
If Trump, the architect of the Abraham Accords and the man who once declared Israel “our greatest ally,” is now warning Netanyahu to stop—then Tel Aviv should consider the writing on the wall.
