A growing rift has emerged between U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, culminating in Netanyahu canceling a planned trip to Washington.
Behind the scenes, White House officials report that Trump has become deeply frustrated with the Israeli leader. The fallout centers on a public clash over fighter jets, a highly suspect intelligence report, and shifting dynamics surrounding the war with Iran.
1. The F-35 Feud: “Bibi Had No Right”
The primary catalyst for Trump’s anger was a Fox News interview Netanyahu gave just before Trump traveled to Ankara for a NATO summit. During the broadcast, Netanyahu publicly criticized the Trump administration’s plans to potentially sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey, arguing it would disrupt the military balance of power in the Middle East.
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Trump’s Reaction: White House officials revealed Trump was “pissed off” by the public critique. One official noted that the U.S. President firmly believed Netanyahu “had no right” to publicly weigh in on or interfere with American defense negotiations with a NATO ally.
2. The Ankara “Kill Plot” Intel
Tensions escalated further during Trump’s visit to Turkey. Israeli intelligence approached Washington with warnings of an active, Iranian-backed “kill plot” targeting Trump in Ankara.
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The Fallout: Acting on the tip, the Secret Service took immediate, disruptive precautions, which included swapping the President’s flight to the older Air Force One model.
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The Reality Check: U.S. and Turkish intelligence agencies investigated the threat and found no corroborating evidence, dismissing the information as single-sourced, uncorroborated, and “more aspirational than operational.” This left U.S. officials feeling misled by what they perceived as a manufactured or highly exaggerated threat.
3. Accusations of “Prolonging the War”
The friction extends beyond personal grievances to broader geopolitical strategy. Within the White House, there is growing resentment over the trajectory of the ongoing conflict with Iran.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance publicly went on Joe Rogan’s podcast to accuse members of Netanyahu’s government of actively attempting to undermine the Trump administration’s diplomatic channels with Tehran. Vance suggested that certain Israeli officials are trying to lock Washington into a prolonged military campaign in the region.
The Current Cold Shoulder
When Israeli media reported that Netanyahu would be flying to Washington to meet with Trump, White House officials quickly clarified that no such meeting had been scheduled or confirmed. One official noted dryly that Netanyahu seemed to be “trying to will a meeting into existence”. Shortly after, Netanyahu’s office announced the cancellation of his U.S. trip.
The current strain marks a sharp departure from the closely aligned relationship the two leaders shared during Trump’s first term.
