JEWISH INSIDER
Rubio defends Israeli operations in Lebanon, despite Trump-Netanyahu spat
Marc Rod
June 3, 2026

Despite President Donald Trump’s public acknowledgement of a confrontational phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding Israeli operations in Lebanon, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday largely defended Israel’s attacks against the Lebanese terrorist group. He said that Hezbollah reached out to the U.S. government through the Lebanese authorities approximately two weeks ago and said that it would stop launching missiles into Israeli territory if Israel did not attack Beirut. But Rubio said that Hezbollah went back on that agreement and launched rockets at Israel within hours. “Israel has not conducted massive operations in Beirut for some time,” Rubio said at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. “Israel has a right to act in its defense.” READ MORE

TIMES OF ISRAEL Netanyahu downplays row with Trump, says he and US leader agree on the ‘main things’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in an interview Wednesday that he held a difficult conversation with US President Donald Trump days earlier, but downplayed the significance of the matter and insisted that he and the American leader agree on “the main things.” The interview, which was conducted live by CNBC, came hours after Trump himself confirmed reports that he called Netanyahu “fucking crazy” during the Monday phone call, saying he was “perturbed” by the premier’s escalation in fighting in Lebanon.