Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has privately expressed frustration with President Donald Trump's Middle East policies, asserting that he says the right things before doing something different, the Israel Hayom newspaper reported Sunday.
The subjects of Netanyahu's frustrations include Iran, Syria, and the ouster of national security adviser Mike Waltz, according to the report.
Specifically, Netanyahu wasn't pleased with the Trump administration's decision to move forward with negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, and Trump's support for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's actions in Syria have also irked Bibi, according to the report.
During an April meeting at the White House with Netanyahu, Trump voiced support for Erdogan to consolidate control over Syria even while supporting Israel's military action in the country, according to the report. This is the same Erdogan who has voiced support for Israel's demise.
Netanyahu was not pleased with the Trump administration's talks with Iran and some of the concessions it's willing to make with the terrorist state, according to the report.
"We are in close contact with the United States. But I said, one way or the other, Iran will not have nuclear weapons," Netanyahu said last week.
Further, the ouster of Waltz, a hawk on Iran, came in part over his conversations with Netanyahu about a military strike on Iran, The Washington Post reported Saturday. That was a final straw for Trump, according to the Post. Netanyahu denied the report.
Trump's appointment of Secretary of State Marco Rubio to be interim national security adviser has assuaged Netanyahu somewhat, Israel Hayom reported. Rubio, too, has taken a hard line on Iran.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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