ALBAWABA - A leaked phone chat between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is creating fresh political instability in Israel, with analysts and opposition politicians saying the impact might hurt Netanyahu’s popularity ahead of expected elections later this year.
According to U.S. and Israeli media accounts, the chat was one of the most contentious exchanges between the two leaders in recent months. The dispute escalated when reports emerged that Trump had privately called Netanyahu “completely crazy” when discussing Israeli threats to resume military strikes on Beirut.
The disclosure comes at a crucial time for Netanyahu who is already facing greater political challenges and rising competition in opinion polls. Recent polls indicate that former military chief Gadi Eisenkot has made gains and for the first time has overtaken Netanyahu as the preferred candidate to head the next Israeli government.
Sources involved with the talk who spoke to reporters said Trump voiced concern that Israel would escalate its attacks in Lebanon and warned that the conflict could hurt Israel’s reputation throughout the world. The alleged comments came as concerns were mounting that regional tensions could derail current diplomatic attempts to reduce bloodshed across the Middle East.
Israelis say Netanyahu held that military pressure was still needed as long as Hezbollah continued to assault northern Israel. But the public release of the call has been criticized both by political rivals and those in Netanyahu’s own camp.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid accused the prime minister of giving Washington too much power in Israeli decision making, while other opponents said the incident highlighted Israel’s growing dependence on U.S. political backing.
Trump has publicly stated that cooperation with Netanyahu remains strong, despite the scandal. But the recorded chat has revealed the split between Washington and Jerusalem at a time when both administrations are facing difficult regional concerns.
With elections on the horizon and an increasingly heated public debate, the episode adds yet another layer of uncertainty to Netanyahu’s political destiny and raises the issue of whether the diplomatic fallout could have electoral consequences in the months to come.
