Netanyahu says Trump repeatedly expressed admiration for Israeli public and soldiers

US President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu many times how impressed he is with the Israeli public and its soldiers, the premier tells Israel’s ambassadors at a meeting in Jerusalem.

“He was also amazed by the decisions we took” during the war, says Netanyahu.

“All of these things made it clear to him that there is a very strong country here,” he continues, “and a very strong army” which brings Israel’s allies closer to it. “Israel revealed that it’s not only a strong country, but an unusually strong country.”

Israel is embarking on an independent military build-up through its defense industries, says Netanyahu. He stresses that it will not be an “autarkic economy” – after saying recently that Israel would have to become a “super Sparta” – but Israel has to be “as independent as possible.”

Israel is “flooded” with requests from foreign countries for Israel weapons, he says.

Netanyahu says he will meet Trump “at the end of the month,” confirming reports about the date of his fifth trip to the US this year and sixth meeting with Trump.

Turning to the rise of antisemitism in the world, he says part of the problem is that hostile countries are using bots on social media and that there will be innovations in the public diplomacy fight.