clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

Trump questioned whether Netanyahu cares about peace

April 23, 2018 at 2:28 pm

US President Donald Trump attends a conference at the White House [Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump was so perplexed by the decisions of Israeli prime minister that he questioned whether Benjamin Netanyahu seriously cared about making peace with the Palestinians.

According to American news agency Axios, Trump asked Netanyahu bluntly if he actually cares about peace or not during a phone conversation last year in which the US president tried to press on Netanyahu the importance of striking a “deal”.

It’s reported that Trump had read news reports about Bibi planning on building additional settlements to please his conservative base in Israel. “Trump,” reported Axios, “thought Bibi was unnecessarily angering the Palestinians.”

Trump expressed his disapproval during the course of a longer conversation that is said to have been mostly friendly and complimentary but Netanyahu’s rejectionist attitude prompted him to ask bluntly if the Israeli prime minister genuinely wanted peace.

The report did not provide any details regarding Netanyahu’s response but it mentioned comments made by White House staff regarding the incident. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told Axios that Trump “has great relationships with a number of foreign leaders but that doesn’t mean he can’t be aggressive when it comes to negotiating what’s best for America.”

Netanyahu: Israel is exposed to existential threats