Trump Backs Netanyahu After Reports of Friction, Talks Tough on Iran: ‘We’ll Knock the Hell Out of Them’
President Trump gave gushing praise to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday — denying reported friction with his counterpart and vowing to “knock the hell out of” Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear program.
“I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re gonna have to knock them down. We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them,” Trump said while welcoming Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla.
“But hopefully that’s not happening. I heard Iran wants to make a deal. They want to make a deal — that’s much smarter. You know, they could have made a deal the last time before we went through a big attack on them, and they decided not to make a deal. They wish they made that deal.”
Trump described the meeting as focused on five major issues, including the implementation of the Trump-brokered October peace deal in Gaza and improving Israeli relations with the new Syrian government.
Once the doors closed for private talks, Netanyahu flattered Trump by announcing that he would bestow upon him the “Israel Prize,” which recognizes cultural achievements in literature, the arts, Jewish studies and other areas. (Read more from “Trump Backs Netanyahu After Reports of Friction, Talks Tough on Iran: ‘We’ll Knock the Hell Out of Them’” HERE)
