From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Leaving past tensions behind, Trump says his relationship with Netanyahu has been ‘mostly ups’
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
WASHINGTON — Asked to characterize his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by a reporter who notes that it has had “ups and downs,” US President Donald Trump responds: “I think it’s mostly ups.”
The pair were seen to get along very well in their first term, but Trump revealed afterward that he didn’t think Netanyahu was serious about making peace with the Palestinians; said “fuck him” over the premier’s call to congratulate Joe Biden after the 2020 election; and accused Netanyahu of backing out of a joint operation to kill the leader of Iran’s elite Quds force, Qassem Soleimani.
He repeated some of those accusations several times after leaving office, but stopped highlighting them once he received the GOP presidential nomination.
Earlier during the Oval Office Q&A, Trump praised Netanyahu.
“We have the right man, the right leader of Israel. He’s done a great job and we’ve been friends for a long time,” Trump said.
The Times of Israel Community.