Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu had a tense phone conversation on Friday evening, following Hamas’s conditional «yes» to the US peace plan. According to Axios, the American president called Bibi to discuss what he considered good news, but the Israeli leader had a different perspective.
Behind the scenes of Trump’s conversation with Netanyahu and his “explosion”
«Bibi told Trump there was nothing to celebrate and that this meant nothing», reports Axios, adding that Trump reacted strongly: «I don’t understand why you’re always so f***ing negative. This is a victory. Accept it». The exchange, confirmed by two American officials, shows Trump’s determination to overcome Netanyahu’s reservations and convince him to end the war if Hamas accepts a deal.
According to Axios, during private consultations on Friday, Netanyahu emphasized that he viewed Hamas’s response as a rejection of Trump’s plan. He added that he wanted to coordinate the response with Washington to avoid spreading the narrative that Hamas had responded positively, an Israeli official told the same website. Trump, however, was in a completely different mindset. He feared Hamas would completely reject the plan and saw the response as an opening for a potential agreement, according to a senior American official. When Trump called Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister’s lukewarm reaction was not what he expected, two American officials said. Hence the president’s intense reaction.
