President Donald Trump said Israel would not exist without his role in U.S. policy decisions, while also criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over military operations in Lebanon during remarks at the Group of Seven summit in France on Tuesday.
Speaking alongside the emir of Qatar in Evian-les-Bains, Trump said the United States had been essential to Israel’s survival and suggested his own leadership had been decisive. “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,” Trump said, according to The Telegraph.
Trump added that Israel would have faced destruction long ago without his involvement in Middle East policy. “Israel would have been gone a long time ago if I wasn’t involved,” he said.
The comments came as Trump addressed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, where he said civilian casualties had become unacceptable. He criticized Israeli tactics, particularly airstrikes that destroy residential buildings in pursuit of individual militants.
“Israel has been fighting Hezbollah for too long and too many people have been killed. You don’t need to bring down an apartment building every time you’re looking for someone because there are a lot of people in those buildings, and they’re not all Hezbollah,” Trump said.
Trump also expressed concern over Israeli strikes in Lebanon conducted shortly before a planned U.S.-Iran peace framework was expected to be signed, suggesting the timing complicated diplomatic efforts. He urged Netanyahu to exercise greater restraint and responsibility in the conduct of military operations.
“I have a good relationship with Bibi, but Bibi has to be more careful with Lebanon,” Trump said, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
The president described Lebanon as a country that once held significant intellectual and cultural influence but has since deteriorated amid prolonged conflict. He suggested regional actors, including Syria, should take a greater role in addressing Hezbollah’s presence, arguing Israel has borne too much of the burden.
Trump also rejected reports that Iran would gain access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund under a prospective agreement if it surrendered uranium stockpiles. “We’re not investing any money in Iran. That rumor from yesterday is nonsense,” he said. “We don’t invest money there.”
He warned of severe consequences if Iran were to pursue nuclear weapons under any future agreement. “All hell will break loose in Tehran,” Trump said.
At the same time, Trump said he did not support regime change in Iran, despite past comments suggesting otherwise. “I’ve never been interested in regime change. It never really works,” he said, contrasting his current position with earlier statements made in February in which he called it “the greatest thing that could happen” for Iran.
Trump joined other world leaders in France for a three-day G7 summit focused on global security issues, including the proposed U.S.-Iran peace framework and efforts to end the war in Ukraine. He said significant developments were expected despite tensions surrounding the negotiations and disagreements with Netanyahu over Israel’s role in the process.
