ÉVIAN-LES-BAINS – US President Donald Trump has claimed that “there would be no Israel” without his intervention, deepening geopolitical tensions with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking at the G7 summit alongside Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, the US President said: “Without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did. Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved.”
Mr Trump also urged the Israeli Prime Minister to show restraint in Lebanon, where frequent military strikes have threatened a fragile, newly brokered peace deal with Iran.
“I’ve had a great relationship with Bibi, but now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Mr Trump said.
Reflecting on the severe toll of the conflict, the US President added: “Lebanon used to be a great country. It was a country where you had professors, doctors, lawyers. The great intellect was in Lebanon. Now it’s just terrible.”
