‘They Do As I Say’ Trump Says Of Israel Amid Disagreement Over Iran Deal
Key takeaways
- President Donald Trump speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
- He also insisted he could control Israel from attacking Lebanon, telling the outlet, “They have a lot of respect for me, and so they do as I say.”
- Hezbollah and Israel entered a new ceasefire agreement earlier Friday—and Trump claimed to NBC he asked Israel to agree to stop the fighting, though he wouldn’t say whether he spoke with Netanyahu directly.
Topline President Donald Trump said Israel abides by his wishes and that he has to keep Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “sane”—the latest example of Trump attempting to assert dominance over Israel as its top officials have widely criticized his Iran deal.
President Donald Trump speaks to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ben Gurion International Airport on October 13, 2025 in Tel Aviv, Israel. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty Images Key Facts Trump insisted in an interview with Axios published Friday that his relationship with Netanyahu is “good, but we have to keep him a little bit sane.”
He also insisted he could control Israel from attacking Lebanon, telling the outlet, “They have a lot of respect for me, and so they do as I say.”