US President Donald Trump has refused to hold a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following the latter's public criticism of Washington's plan to sell F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.
According to US media, Netanyahu's comments have caused discontent in the White House. One US official stated that Trump was "very irritated", while another said that the president thought the Israeli prime minister "had no right" to interfere in US defense strategy.
As a result of the tensions, a potential meeting between the two leaders in the Oval Office did not take place. US officials explained that the meeting was not authorized and was not included in the presidential agenda, although the Israeli side had begun preparations for a visit to Washington, Axios reported.
Relations between the two allies were further strained ahead of Trump's trip to the NATO summit in Ankara. An Israeli intelligence warning of a possible Iranian threat to the US president was dismissed by US officials as speculative rather than a concrete plan.
The clashes come at a time when political support for Netanyahu in Washington appears to be waning. Senior American officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have criticized several members of the Israeli government for their positions on American policy on Iran.
At the same time, criticism of military support for Israel is growing in the US Congress. Over 100 Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted to cut $3 billion in military aid to Israel, reflecting growing divisions over US policy toward Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
