Relations with Trump ‘Excellent’, Israel is US’s closest ally: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described his relationship with US President Donald Trump as ‘Excellent’. He claimed that despite occasional differences between the two countries, the strategic goals and foundations of the relationship remain intact.
At the same time, he said that Israel is America’s biggest ally and the United States is Israel’s biggest ally. Netanyahu made these remarks in an interview with the US media Fox News on Sunday (July 5). He said that his position with Trump is the same on almost all important issues.
Netanyahu said, ’99 percent of the time, our views are the same. However, like any family or close friendship, sometimes there are differences. We discuss those issues openly.’ Netanyahu also rejected the idea that Washington and Tel Aviv have different goals on Iran. He claimed that both countries are working towards the same goal of preventing Iran’s nuclear program.
He said, “We want Iran to abandon its nuclear weapons program. To remove enriched uranium and to dismantle all nuclear fuel enrichment facilities.” Netanyahu claimed that after the Israeli military operation and the US’s ‘Operation Epic Fury’, President Trump believes that this goal can be achieved through diplomatic negotiations and continued pressure on Tehran.
At the same time, he stressed that no matter what agreement or memorandum of understanding is reached between the US and Iran in the future, as long as he is prime minister, Iran will never be given the opportunity to develop nuclear weapons. Netanyahu also rejected the accusations of critics that Israel is always at war. In support of this, he cited examples of various peace agreements signed in the Middle East.
He said that with the cooperation of President Trump, Israel has completed four important peace agreements known as the Abraham Accords. He also expressed hope that the recent agreement with Lebanon could pave the way for more peace agreements in the future. Netanyahu claimed that ordinary Lebanese people want to be free from Hezbollah’s influence.
He said, “Lebanon wants to free itself from Hezbollah terrorists. They are eager to move forward as a normal state. I hope that more peace agreements will be possible in the future.” In the interview, Netanyahu also raised the issue of anti-Israel movements in Western countries. He claimed that these movements ultimately incite anti-American sentiment.
He said, “Those who hate Israel, ultimately hate America. Just as they burn the Israeli flag in protests, in many cases they burn the American flag next to it.” Calling such movements a “toxic ideology,” Netanyahu said that it not only threatens the US-Israeli alliance, but also goes against the fundamental values ​​of both countries.

Khamenei’s funeral
In the interview, he also raised the issue of the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Netanyahu claimed that there were not only slogans like ‘Death to America’, but also slogans like ‘Kill Trump’ and ‘Death to Trump’.
By highlighting these statements, he once again emphasized the importance of the US-Israeli relationship. Netanyahu said, ‘Our alliance is not only based on common strategic interests, it is also built on common values. As long as that foundation remains strong, our alliance will remain strong.’