U.S. President Donald Trump is “normalizing fire at Israel,” an Israeli official said on Sunday, as Washington pressed Israel to avoid responding if Iran launches missiles in retaliation for an Israeli strike in Beirut.
Israeli intelligence assessments presented to the political echelon found a significant possibility that Iran would fire missiles at Israel, officials said. The United States is trying to persuade Tehran to avoid an attack or limit its scope in order to contain the crisis, while also pressing Israel not to retaliate if Iran does respond.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump
(Photo: Lev Radin/Shutterstock, REUTERS/Nathan Howard, KAWANT HAJU/AFP)
The pressure followed an Israeli strike in Beirut’s Dahieh district after Hezbollah launched drones toward Israel. Trump sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the strike, saying it came shortly before a possible U.S.-Iran agreement and “should not have happened.” He said Israel had the right to defend itself but described the Hezbollah attack as “very small and meaningless” because no one was hurt.
Israeli officials said the U.S. position was unfair and did not reflect the way an ally should be treated. They said Washington was ignoring repeated Hezbollah violations of Israeli sovereignty and tying Israel’s hands in the face of ongoing fire.
Officials in Jerusalem said Trump had demanded that Netanyahu not only halt fire in Lebanon but also begin a withdrawal. Netanyahu rejected the demands, they said.
Israeli airstrike in Beirut's Dahieh
(Video: IDF)
Israel also pushed back against U.S. claims that the Dahieh strike was intended to disrupt a pending agreement with Iran. Israeli officials said the strike targeted Hezbollah infrastructure after drones were fired into Israel, including near the western Galilee community of Shlomi.
“When the Iranians downed an American helicopter, Trump ordered a harsh response even though there were no casualties,” one Israeli official said. “Why is what is allowed for the United States forbidden to Israel?”