Israeli businessman claims Trump threatened Netanyahu through his wife over Lebanon plans

An Israeli businessman has claimed that US President Donald Trump threatened Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his family in an effort to prevent a planned Israeli attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs, according to reports in Israeli media.

The claims were made by Israeli businessman Roni Mani and reported by the Hebrew-language news website Walla. Mani said he had received information from what he described as a senior White House source regarding contacts between Trump and Sara Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister’s wife.

According to Mani, Trump contacted Sara Netanyahu and urged her to persuade her husband to abandon plans for military action in Beirut’s southern suburbs.

“My exclusive information, through my sources in the White House, confirms that Trump contacted Sara Netanyahu and demanded that she look after Netanyahu or he would imprison him, expel Yair from the United States, and freeze their assets there.”

According to Mani’s account, Sara Netanyahu subsequently confronted her husband over the issue, after which Netanyahu contacted Trump and agreed to abandon the proposed course of action.

The claims have not been independently confirmed, and there was no immediate comment from the White House, the Netanyahu family or Israeli government officials regarding Mani’s statements.

The report emerged amid growing reports of tensions between Trump and Netanyahu over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon.

According to earlier reporting by Axios, citing senior White House officials, Trump held a heated phone call with Netanyahu on Monday, during which he expressed anger over the civilian toll of the Israeli aggression in Lebanon.

According to those officials, Trump told Netanyahu:

“You’re totally crazy. If it weren’t for me, you’d be in jail. I’m saving you. Everyone hates you now, and everyone hates Israel because of your actions.