Trump 'Pissed Off' by Netanyahu's Criticism of F-35 Sales to Türkiye

U.S. President Donald Trump is refusing to schedule a meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli leader publicly criticized Washington's plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.

The diplomatic freeze follows a television interview where the Israeli prime minister condemned the proposed defense export.

The appearance provoked immediate frustration within the administration, with one White House official noting that the U.S. president was "pissed off" by the remarks, according to Axios.

A second administration insider revealed that Trump firmly believed "Bibi had no right" to interfere in American defense strategy.

Oval Office Snub

The dispute over the advanced fighter jets has derailed the Israeli government's aggressive scheduling push.

White House officials expressed surprise at recent Israeli press reports claiming that a Monday summit in Washington had been finalized.

Two U.S. officials confirmed that an Oval Office meeting was never authorized or placed on the presidential calendar.

"Our impression was that Bibi was trying to will a meeting into existence," one official remarked.

Despite the lack of an invitation, Netanyahu’s office had already instructed the Israeli Air Force to prepare a government aircraft.

An advance protocol and security team was also dispatched to the American capital.

The Israeli delegation ultimately canceled the trip on Thursday. Aides cited the postponement of a memorial service for former Senator Lindsey Graham, though administration officials noted Netanyahu had been unsuccessfully seeking a presidential audience for over two weeks.

Summit Intelligence

The friction escalated just before Trump traveled to Ankara for a NATO summit in early July.

Prior to the trip, the US president had suggested a meeting could occur upon his return.

During the diplomatic visit to Türkiye, Israeli intelligence alleged that an Iranian official was discussing an assassination attempt against the US president.

The security alert prompted the Secret Service to modify travel protocols and utilize an older Air Force One model.

However, American officials quickly dismissed the single-source intelligence as highly speculative rather than a concrete plot.

Turkish security services independently investigated the claim and concluded there was no specific assassination threat in Ankara.

Fracturing Support

The canceled meeting underscores Netanyahu’s deteriorating political standing in Washington, five months into a joint military campaign against Iran.

Senior administration figures are increasingly critical of the Israeli leadership.

Vice President JD Vance recently accused members of Netanyahu’s cabinet of actively attempting to sabotage the administration's Iran policy to prolong the conflict.

Multiple U.S. officials have also criticized the Israeli prime minister for providing inaccurate operational forecasts regarding the war.

Legislative backing is simultaneously eroding. More than a hundred House Democrats voted on Wednesday to cut $3 billion in military aid to Israel.

A prominent political figure described the vote as a direct mechanism for lawmakers to register their opposition to the current Israeli government.

Some Israeli officials suggest the prime minister also chose to remain in his country due to shifting regional defense postures.

They assess that Washington is preparing to escalate strikes against Iran, and Netanyahu prefers to be present for any potential retaliatory action.