‘WITHOUT ME, THERE WOULD BE NO ISRAEL’ — TRUMP BLASTS NETANYAHU OVER LEBANON STRIKE
Read Time:1 Minute, 44 Second
By ‘Sefiu Ajape
US President Donald Trump says there would be no Israel without the United States and his leadership.
Trump made the remarks on Tuesday at the G7 summit in Évian-les-Bains, France, amid growing tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv over the Iran conflict and efforts to sustain a ceasefire in the region.
On Sunday, the United States and Iran announced a deal to end the Middle East war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
However, on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would maintain its troop presence in Lebanon despite the agreement.
“I want to make clear: We will remain in the security zones as long as required in order to defend our country,” Netanyahu said, adding that “the struggle has not ended”.
Shortly after the US announced the deal with Iran, Israel carried out an airstrike in a suburb of Beirut.
Trump said he was angered by Netanyahu’s actions, accusing him of complicating efforts to stabilise the region.
Speaking at the G7 summit, the US president criticised Israel’s military operations, saying too many lives had been lost and that the conflict had lasted for “too long”.
“You don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you,” Trump said.
“And I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because, to be honest with you, I think they’re doing a better job of doing it.
“Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did. I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon.”
Trump added that Israel should “have been able to do the job faster”, noting that the prolonged conflict could undermine the recent peace deal with Iran.
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