Netanyahu-Trump call sets up White House visit amid US-Turkey warming

PM spoke with Trump on Friday evening, agreeing to meet soon, as Israel eyes Ankara's NATO summit and Iran talks.

Netanyahu-Trump call sets up White House visit amid US-Turkey warming — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with US President Donald Trump on Friday evening, congratulating him on the 250th Independence Day and agreeing to meet in the US soon.[^1] Trump said Netanyahu 'knows who the boss is,' according to a report.[^4] The call comes as Jerusalem fears that warming relations between Washington and Ankara could harm Israel's security interests, with Trump hinting he would bring a 'bag of gifts' for Turkey, including security deals such as aircraft engines and F-35 components, ahead of the NATO summit on July 7-8. Opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the government for refraining from strikes on Iran's oil infrastructure, saying he 'would bomb all major energy facilities and oil fields to inflict devastating damage on Iran's economy and promote regime change.'[^3] Meanwhile, former Israeli ambassador Danny Ayalon called the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding a 'massive surrender' to Iran. The next round of Iran-US talks is set for July 11 in Pakistan. The call and the looming NATO summit underscore a diplomatic tightrope: Israel seeks US support while watching Trump's outreach to Turkey and the Iran nuclear track. An Israeli official warned, 'Our situation will worsen until a new government is formed.'[^4] IDF budget hole, Lebanon clashes, and Iran's hidden nuclear work — On Saturday, forces of the 551st Brigade under Division 91 identified an armed terrorist in the security zone in Majdal Zoun, southern Lebanon, opened fire, conducted a pursuit, and eliminated him.[^1] Hours later, a reserve soldier from Brigade 769 was seriously wounded in a clash with Hezbollah in the Beit Jebel area.[^2] The IDF then struck ten Hezbollah infrastructures in Bint Jbeil, Beit Yahoun, Kunin, and Brashit.[^2] Maariv columnist Avi Ashkenazi questioned why the IDF waited, calling the hesitation a sign of eroding deterrence against Hezbollah.[^3] The US Marine Corps Central Command commander Joseph Clearfield visited Israel this week to pilot the withdrawal from Lebanon.[^4] The military is grappling with a 25 billion shekel budget hole, after the Finance Ministry added on