Report: Trump frustrated with Netanyahu but avoids public spat

US President Donald Trump is reportedly frustrated with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but is trying to keep them under wraps with effusive praise of the Israeli leader for now.

According to a US official and a Republican source cited by the Times of Israel, Trump has deliberately steered clear of a public confrontation with Netanyahu, even as differences persist over key policies in West Asia.

The two most met on Monday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, where the US president put a show of unity while playing down growing tensions over Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Trump views public criticism of Netanyahu as politically counterproductive, particularly as Washington seeks to push ahead with a second phase of the Gaza "ceasefire" plan in the coming weeks, the report said.

Israel’s ongoing actions on the ground, however, have repeatedly undermined the agreement.

“While some of us working for the president have gotten frustrated with Bibi and feel he has been dragging his feet on phase two of the Gaza deal, the president has intentionally been shielded from those conversations,” the US official said, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

The official pointed to repeated breaches of ceasefire commitments, continued military strikes, the closure of most border crossings, especially Rafah, and severe restrictions on the entry of aid and basic supplies into the besieged territory by Israel.

Israeli occupation forces have carried out 969 violations of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza since it took effect on October 10, 2025, killing 418 Palestinians and wounding 1,141 others, according to figures released on Sunday by the Gaza Government Media Office.

Despite these violations, Trump has opted to publicly praise Netanyahu, calculating that a display of solidarity could make the Israeli prime minister more receptive to US pressure behind closed doors, the report said.

That approach was on display at Mar-a-Lago, where Trump repeatedly lauded Netanyahu and brushed aside mounting criticism of Israel’s conduct.

“He is a wartime prime minister. He is a hero,” Trump told reporters as he welcomed Netanyahu, once again urging Israeli president Isaac Herzog to grant the prime minister a pardon.

Netanyahu faces trial on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust in multiple corruption cases, proceedings that have followed him throughout his time in office.

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Trump acknowledged differences over the occupied West Bank but avoided specifics, saying Netanyahu would ultimately “do the right thing,” even as settlement expansion and settler violence continue with little restraint.

According to the sources, Trump raised concerns privately during the meeting about unchecked settler attacks, the growth of illegal settlements, and Israel’s hardline policies in the occupied West Bank, issues his administration has consistently declined to confront publicly.

Previous media reports of disputes have often served as public relations maneuvers—similar to the case of Iran, where Trump and Netanyahu were reported to be at odds but ultimately aligned in their unprovoked military actions against the country in June.

This time, President Trump is reportedly conscious of the political risks of alienating key supporters, as segments of his Make America Great Again (MAGA) base have become increasingly critical of Israel.

However, other Republicans remain drawn to Trump precisely because of his unwavering support for the Israeli regime, the Republican source said.

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000 in Gaza, most of them women and children.

Palestinian figures show that since October 7, 2023, when the occupying entity launched its genocidal assault on Gaza, Israeli armed forces and settlers have killed at least 1,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East al-Quds, wounded nearly 11,000 others, and abducted around 21,000.

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