Netanyahu to Trump: Israel won't be 'victim' of deal between Iran, US

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. President Donald Trump that he “understood very well” Washington’s desire to reach a deal with Tehran to end the war, but that he “thought there would be no deal” and Israelis would not be “the victims of this deal,” according to the online site of the daily Yedioth Aharonoth.

The outlet reported “exclusive quotes” from the prime minister during an Israeli cabinet meeting Monday night, where he shared some details from the tense call he had with Donald Trump, which brought an end to the large-scale Israeli strikes initially announced against the southern suburbs of Beirut earlier in the week.

“Donald Trump asked me: Did they kill any of your people?” Netanyahu said. “I replied: No, there were no deaths. I refuse to accept an equation in which we only react when there are casualties. If Israeli territory is attacked, I respond and strike. We are not subordinate to the Americans, we are their allies. When you have a partner, you act like a partner. We do not work against them, but with them,” he continued.

He also told the ministers present that the American president was very keen to reach an agreement and stated: “I told him that I fully understand that desire, but I think there will not be a deal and that we will not be the victims of this agreement.”

Also according to Yedioth Aharonoth, Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir discussed in the meeting the possibility that Israel might have to act alone against Iran: “We could have struck harder in Iran, we are prepared for a significant and intense wave of strikes, we have the stamina necessary for an intense campaign alone against Iran. But of course, we would prefer to do it with our partner.”

Trump’s intervention to prevent the large-scale Israeli strikes announced Monday against the southern suburbs of Beirut was criticized across the entire Israeli political spectrum, including targeting Netanyahu.

As the southern suburb emptied out of residents on Monday morning after Israel’s initial threats, the White House chief forced Netanyahu, at least temporarily, to back away from these bombings against the Lebanese capital.

Trump told the New York Post that during Monday’s call, he was “a little upset” by the fact that Netanyahu “keeps fighting with Lebanon.” “You said, ‘Are you completely crazy? What are you doing? I helped you stay out of jail,’ is that true?” the New York Post asked, to which the American president responded: “yes.”

The war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon has killed more than 3,600 people, the vast majority civilians, while Israel occupies part of southern Lebanon, where its army has razed entire villages.