Trump Shares Video Using Derogatory Terms Against Netanyahu

US President-elect Donald Trump posted provocative video describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “deep, dark son of a b*tch.” This comes weeks after Netanyahu claimed the two had a very friendly, warm discussion about hostage negotiations and Syria policy. Trump posted the clip on Truth Social, featuring economist Jeffrey Sachs, who accuses Netanyahu of manipulating US foreign policy and orchestrating endless wars in the Middle East.

In the video, Sachs – speaking at a Cambridge Union event – claims that Netanyahu has followed a systematic strategy since 1995 to target and eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah by targeting their supporting governments in Iraq, Iran, and Syria. “[Netanyahu’s] gotten us into endless wars and because of the power of all of this in US politics, he’s gotten his way,” Sachs said during the interview.

Trump’s reason for sharing the video is unclear. The president-elect has a history of posting clips and images critical of Washington’s establishment policies. However, this repost comes amid intense diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the current US administration to broker a truce, which could include the release of hostages.

During Trump’s first term, he delivered major diplomatic wins for Netanyahu, including recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 and supporting the Abraham Accords with Gulf states.

The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has been marked by turbulence and is often seen as transactional. During Trump’s first presidential campaign, he secured significant diplomatic victories for Netanyahu, including recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 and supporting the Abraham Accords with Gulf states.

More recently, the president-elect hosted the Israeli prime minister at Mar-a-Lago during his visit to the US. However, in 2020, Trump criticized Netanyahu for congratulating Joe Biden on his election victory. At the time, Trump told Axios, "I haven’t spoken to [the Israeli leader] since. F**k him."