«Axios»: Trump's anger over Netanyahu's 'Turkish F-35' suspends their anticipated meeting in Washington - Sarmad

Axios reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was angered by public criticism from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Washington’s sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

The website cited White House officials confirming that no date has been set for a meeting between Trump and Netanyahu, despite earlier Israeli media reports suggesting the U.S. president would host the Israeli prime minister on the following Monday.

A senior official clarified that Trump’s anger stemmed from remarks Netanyahu made during a television interview with Fox News, shortly before Trump traveled to the Turkish capital, Ankara, to participate in the NATO summit held on July 7 and 8. The White House viewed these comments as an unacceptable interference in U.S. foreign policy.

Another White House official went further, stating that Trump believes Netanyahu has “no right” to intervene in the proposed arms deal, clearly indicating that Israel has no authority to object to U.S. arms sales to other countries, particularly NATO allies. These developments come as Netanyahu has been seeking a meeting with Trump for over two weeks. Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, Netanyahu has visited the Oval Office five times, underscoring the importance of the bilateral relationship despite emerging disagreements.

Earlier Israeli media reports had indicated that Netanyahu planned to travel to Washington over the weekend to attend the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham and meet with Trump on Monday. However, Netanyahu’s office announced on Thursday the cancellation of the trip following the postponement of Graham’s funeral to a later date.

Axios quoted a White House official saying, “Our impression was that Netanyahu was trying to force a meeting by will,” a description reflecting divergent views on the agenda between the two sides.

The website also noted that White House officials did not rule out a meeting between Trump and Netanyahu when the Israeli prime minister eventually travels to Washington for Graham’s memorial service. However, the current postponement comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Netanyahu’s government, particularly over differences regarding the war with Iran. This follows comments by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, who suggested that members of the Israeli government were attempting to undermine U.S. diplomatic efforts with Tehran in order to prolong the military campaign against Iran.