President Donald Trump was caught off guard last week by Israeli actions in Gaza and Syria, and on both occasions called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “make amends,” according to the White House. That underscores what sources have said is an increasingly tense dynamic between the two leaders. An attack last Thursday on the only Catholic Church in Gaza prompted an immediate backlash from Trump, who called Netanyahu to express his displeasure and ensure the Israeli leader issued a statement calling the attack a mistake.
Trump was similarly surprised by Israeli airstrikes that targeted government buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus last week, at a time when his administration is working to rebuild the war-torn nation.
“The president enjoys a good working relationship with Bibi Netanyahu and maintains frequent communication with him. He was taken aback by the bombing in Syria and also by the bombing of a Catholic church in Gaza,” press secretary Caroline Leavitt told reporters at the White House on Monday. “In both accounts, the president quickly called the prime minister to address those situations,” she continued.
Leavitt noted Secretary of State Marco Rubio's efforts to calm tensions in Syria, where Trump has eased sanctions and supported the new president, former rebel leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, writes A2 CNN.
Trump, who hosted Netanyahu at the White House earlier this month, has long had a complicated relationship with the Israeli leader. Despite being strong allies, the two men are not personally close, people familiar with the dynamic said, and the pair has at times been tinged with mutual distrust.
However, Trump appeared to be closer than ever to Netanyahu after his decision to join Israel’s air campaign in Iran this summer. During a dinner in the White House Blue Room earlier this month, Netanyahu made a dramatic display by presenting a letter he had written to the Nobel committee nominating Trump for the peace prize. Trump had hoped that Netanyahu’s four-day visit to Washington would bring progress on a ceasefire in Gaza that would include the release of hostages still being held by Hamas and a significant increase in the amount of humanitarian aid allowed into the besieged enclave. The US president had said repeatedly before the visit that he expected a ceasefire that week.
(A2 Televizion)
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