Trump praises Netanyahu, says ‘Israel would have been blown off the face of the earth’ if not for the US and him

US President Donald Trump praises his relationship with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, describing it as “very good” and “unbelievable,” following a series of negative comments he made about the premier in recent days.

But he says Israel owes its continued existence to the United States.

“If it weren’t for the United States of America, with me, because Obama was the opposite, Israel would not exist right now. Israel would have been blown off the face of the earth, 100 percent. And every smart person in Israel knows that,” the US president says in comments at the G7 summit of global leaders in France.

“Without me, there’d be no Israel,” he stresses, “because no other president was willing to do what I did [in tackling Iran].” He says Iran was “two weeks away from having a nuclear weapon” and would have used it against Israel if the US had not intervened.

Asked whether he is frustrated with Netanyahu after the two clashed over Israel’s bombing of Hezbollah targets in Beirut on Sunday. Trump praises their relationship.

“We have a very good relationship,” he says. He adds later, using the premier’s nickname, “So, when you ask me about Bibi: an unbelievable relationship. But Israel would have been blown up a long time ago had I not gotten involved.”