US President Donald Trump sharply criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a fiery phone call in 2025 concerning negotiations to secure a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a new book published on Tuesday by a New York Times journalist, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan,
The book, Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump, explores the first year of Trump’s second term, including the administration’s role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that was meant to end the genocidal war on Gaza.
As described in excerpts from the book, Trump became angry during a call with Netanyahu that also included senior US aides Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who are Jewish. He reportedly told the Israeli leader: “Everybody’s sick of you, Bibi. All the Jews are sick of you. Even the two Jews on this call are sick of you.”
The conversation reportedly took place during the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025, while Trump was advocating a 20-point proposal aimed at ending the war in Gaza and rebuilding the territory, the Times of Israel reported.
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Earlier that month, Israel carried out an air strike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar as they met to discuss a possible ceasefire agreement. While the strike did not eliminate the senior Hamas figures it sought to kill, it resulted in the deaths of several lower-ranking Hamas members and a Qatari security guard. Following the incident, Qatar declined to continue serving as a mediator in negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The excerpts do not make clear whether Trump’s frustration during the phone call was connected to the Qatar strike.
The reports of these phone conversation remarks come amid signs of growing tension between Trump and Netanyahu over issues including the US-Iran agreement and Israel’s military offensive on Lebanon.
Trump to Netanyahu: ‘You can’t back down from the deal’
The book also reveals that Witkoff and Kushner warned US President’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles that Netanyahu could try to call Trump and derail the Gaza peace plan.
White House officials, concerned about Netanyahu’s sabotage, kept Kushner and Witkoff on the line when Netanyahu got on the phone, Anadolu reported.
It was reported that Trump, who started shouting at Netanyahu in the first moments of the phone call, used the following statements:
“You can’t back down from this agreement. I am the best friend Israel has ever had. Everyone hates you, but I stood behind you. This is a huge deal for Israel.”
