Donald Trump has escalated tensions with Benjamin Netanyahu by sharing a video on Truth Social in which economist Jeffrey Sachs describes the Israeli prime minister as a “deep, dark son of a bitch” who has manipulated US foreign policy.
The post comes just weeks after Netanyahu claimed to have had a “very friendly, warm” discussion with Trump about hostage negotiations and Syria policy.
In the shared video clip, Sachs tells interviewer Tucker Carlson that Netanyahu has pursued a systematic strategy since 1995 to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah by targeting their supporting governments.
The timing is significant as Egypt, Qatar and the current US administration work to broker a truce deal including hostage releases.
About 100 hostages remain in Gaza after 15 months of conflict, with two-thirds believed to be alive. The war has claimed more than 45,000 Palestinian lives and displaced most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Trump’s post appears at odds with his appointment of what Israeli settlers call a “dream team” of hardline supporters, including Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Elise Stefanik as UN ambassador, Mike Huckabee as ambassador to Israel, and Pete Hegseth as defence secretary.
The Trump-Netanyahu relationship has historically been marked by both cooperation and tension.
While Trump delivered diplomatic victories for Netanyahu during his presidency, including recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, he later criticised Netanyahu for congratulating Biden on his 2020 election victory.
The Israeli government has not responded to Trump’s post. Sachs told the Guardian he hoped it signalled a shift in US foreign policy, though he confirmed he was not advising Trump.
