Trump Reportedly Furious at Netanyahu Over Türkiye F-35 Sale; Israeli PM Cancels US Trip After White House Meeting Snub

Donald Trump is reportedly furious with Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli prime minister publicly criticised a possible US sale of F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye, deepening a rift between two leaders once seen as closely aligned.

Netanyahu reportedly cancelled a planned trip to the United States after the White House failed to confirm a meeting with Trump. Israeli media had suggested that Netanyahu was expected to travel to Washington, attend the funeral of the late Senator Lindsey Graham and meet Trump on Monday. Netanyahu's office later said the trip had been cancelled because Graham's funeral service had been postponed.

The White House had never formally placed a Trump-Netanyahu meeting on the president's schedule. One White House official reportedly said the impression inside the administration was that 'Bibi was trying to will a meeting into existence.'

The episode stood out because Netanyahu has already visited the Oval Office multiple times since Trump returned to power, with previous meetings arranged quickly. This time, the Israeli leader had reportedly been seeking an appointment for more than two weeks.

Trump 'Pissed Off' Over F-35 Comments

The friction reportedly worsened after Netanyahu appeared on Fox News before Trump's trip to Ankara and criticised the president's openness to selling F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye. One White House official reportedly said that Trump was 'pissed off' by the interview. Another said the president felt Netanyahu had 'no right' to intervene in the issue.

Türkiye was removed from the F-35 programme in 2019 after buying Russia's S-400 missile defence system, which Washington said could compromise the stealth aircraft's security. Trump has recently signalled a willingness to explore bringing Türkiye back into the programme, a move that has alarmed Israeli officials concerned about regional military balance and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's hostility towards Israel.

'Bogus Kill Plot' Intel Added to Tensions

The dispute did not end with the fighter jets. While Trump was in Türkiye, Israel reportedly passed along intelligence suggesting that a senior Iranian official had discussed killing the US president while he was in Ankara.

The information prompted security precautions, including a reported switch to the older Air Force One. But several US officials later described the intelligence as single-sourced and uncorroborated. One official said it appeared 'more aspirational than operational,' while Turkish security services were said to have found no specific assassination plot.

For a White House already irritated with Netanyahu, the episode reportedly added to frustration over whether Israel was trying to shape US decisions through pressure and alarm.

Washington Patience With Netanyahu Wears Thin

The latest clash comes amid broader unease inside Washington over Netanyahu's handling of the Iran war and his influence on US policy. Vice President JD Vance recently suggested on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' that some figures inside the Israeli government were trying to undermine US negotiations with Iran in order to prolong the military campaign.

Meanwhile, more than 100 House Democrats voted this week to cut $3 billion in US aid to Israel, a striking rebuke aimed largely at Netanyahu and his government. That criticism is no longer limited to Democrats. The MAGA base has also grown more divided over foreign wars and US support for Israel.

Trump and Netanyahu have long presented themselves as political allies, but the latest episode suggests their relationship is under fresh strain. The cancelled trip may have been explained officially through scheduling, but the message from Washington appears harder to ignore: Netanyahu's standing with Trump is no longer guaranteed.