Donald Trump thinks Benjamin Netanyahu needs to act more sensibly.Image: AP
June 18, 2026, 6:29 p.mJune 18, 2026, 6:29 p.m
According to the Israeli broadcaster Kan, US President Donald Trump is leaving his support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the upcoming parliamentary election open for the time being. Trump said in an interview that he would probably support Netanyahu in the election, but would first have to wait and see who was running. Trump added that he had a good relationship with Netanyahu, but Netanyahu needed to act more sensibly.
A date for the Knesset election has not yet been set. The law requires implementation by October 27, 2026. According to current polls, the incumbent government coalition is missing its parliamentary majority.
In the 2019 election, the Israeli Prime Minister appeared on huge banners together with US President Trump under the slogan “Netanyahu – a different league”.
Increased criticism
Recently, Trump has expressed unusual public criticism of Netanyahu. He described him as a “very difficult guy” and accused him of lacking judgment. He also criticized the actions of the Israeli army in Lebanon.
According to information from the Wall Street Journal newspaper, these differences are increasingly putting strain on the relationship between the two politicians. Trump’s frustration with Netanyahu has boiled over at times in recent weeks as he has sought to end the war with Iran while the Israeli prime minister has been eager to continue the fight, they said. The paper quoted a high-ranking government official as saying that Netanyahu usually pushes for increased military operations in phone calls with Trump, and that the US president has now had enough of it. (sda/dpa)
This is what Trump’s Reflecting Pool looks like now
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