Trump and Netanyahu to Hold Summit in U.S. Amid Growing Friction

U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed to meet for a summit in the United States soon, AFP reported, citing the Israeli Prime Minister's Office.

In a statement released today (July 4), the Israeli Prime Minister's Office announced the phone call, stating, "Prime Minister Netanyahu said that the United States is a bastion of freedom in the world and that Israel highly values the close relationship between the two countries," adding, "Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet in the United States soon."

The office also noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu conveyed a message congratulating the United States on its 250th Independence Day.

Longtime allies the United States and Israel conducted joint airstrikes against Iran on February 28 of this year, aiming to dismantle Iran's nuclear weapons development program.

However, disagreements have recently emerged regarding how to end the war with Iran.

As Israel continues its military operations against Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in Lebanon, President Trump's plans for peace negotiations with Iran have been undermined. Consequently, Trump has directed harsh public criticism toward Prime Minister Netanyahu over the past few weeks.

With the U.S. midterm elections approaching in November of this year and rising anti-war sentiment at home due to factors such as inflation, President Trump is struggling to bring the war to a swift end.

However, early last month, while peace negotiations between the U.S. and Iran were in full swing, Israel bombed Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah, which effectively threw cold water on the talks.

It is reported that in response, President Trump called Prime Minister Netanyahu and shouted at him, using profanity, asking, "What the hell are you doing?", calling him "crazy," and saying, "You don't know how to be grateful."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.