“I’m saving your ass.”

“Everybody hates you now.”

“Everybody hates Israel.”

Those were the reported words President Trump used when speaking to Prime Minister Netanyahu regarding Israel’s response to continued Hezbollah attacks despite a ceasefire.

My first reaction was probably the same as many Israelis.

How dare he talk to Israel like that?

For years, many of us viewed Donald Trump as one of Israel’s strongest allies. Whether it was moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem, recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, or helping broker the Abraham Accords, there was a sense that Israel had a friend in the White House who understood its security concerns.

Reading those reported comments, my immediate instinct was to feel defensive, disappointed, and even a little betrayed.

I read the words several times, hoping perhaps they had been taken out of context. Not because I doubted that allies might disagree, but because they sounded so unlike the language one expects from a friend.

If these reports are accurate, the comments sounded less like counsel from an ally and more like a lecture from someone who had forgotten that alliances are built on mutual respect.

Israel is not a child in need of reprimand. It is a sovereign nation facing real security threats and making decisions that no leader takes lightly.

True allies can disagree. They can challenge one another. They can........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)