The White House is alarmed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decisions in Syria, branding the premier a “madman” and “a child who just won’t behave.” The White House officials have been quoted as saying that Netanyahu acted like a madman, bombing everything all the time, and this could undermine what Trump is trying to do. Israel began carrying out strikes on Syrian troops rolling into Sweida on Tuesday after local government forces were accused of killing scores of people in the Druze city of Sweida. On Wednesday, the IDF struck key buildings in Damascus.
The White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also told reporters that Trump’s reaction to the incident “was not a positive reaction.” There is growing skepticism in the US administration about Netanyahu and his policies, said a third official, adding that “Netanyahu is sometimes like a child who just won’t behave.” It was not clear whether the officials’ frustrations reflected the feelings of Trump himself. However, it wouldn’t be the first time the president has been irked by Israel’s behavior. In an unprecedented, public, foul-mouthed tirade, Trump voiced his frustration against Israel last month when it planned a massive airstrike in response to the launch of a single missile by Iran after a ceasefire ending the 12-day war took effect.
Israel said it was acting in support of the Druze, who form a substantial community in Israel and are seen as a loyal minority, with many serving in the Israeli military. Saudi Arabia and Turkey complained to the White House, as did Barrack and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. “The bombing in Syria caught the president and the White House by surprise,” a US official was quoted as saying. “The president doesn’t like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country he is seeking peace in and made a monumental announcement to help rebuild.”
