“How does this make sense?” – Fox News host and member of presidential advisory council Mark Levin pushes back on President Trump’s scathing criticism of Israel’s prime minister.
By World Israel News Staff
Fox News host Mark Levin, a Trump ally and member of the president’s Homeland Security Advisory Council, pushed back Monday against President Donald Trump’s escalating criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, questioning why Israel’s leader was being rebuked after months of joint action against Iran.
Levin posted the criticism on X after Trump accused Netanyahu of acting without judgment over Israeli strikes in Lebanon and said the Israeli prime minister should be grateful to the US for helping prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“In a period of two-months, Israel has gone from a great ally and partner in war, fighting by our side against a horrible enemy that has killed thousands of our people, killed tens of thousands of their own people, and was a dire nuclear threat intent on attacking us, to Israeli PM Netanyahu being a difficult person who should be thanking us for saving his country from Iran and should get our permission if he wants to defend his people from Hezbollah and Iran, and stand down when his country is attacked,” Levin wrote.
And just yesterday, Israel’s PM avenged the execution of 5 American soldiers by taking out a Hezbollah commander/terrorist,” he continued. “And only Israel has been killing Hezbollah leaders who murdered our Marines, soldiers, embassy staff, and more. It seems to me a kind word is in order. How does this make any sense?”
Levin’s comments followed Trump’s sharp public and private criticism of Netanyahu after Israel struck a Hezbollah target in Beirut shortly before the US and Iran were expected to finalize a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the regional conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told Axios that the Israeli strike had delayed the deal’s signing and said he had confronted Netanyahu afterward.
“Why did Bibi have to do a f**king attack?” Trump said, according to Axios. “I was so pissed off. I let him know. He has no f**king judgment. I let him know that.”
“It is so bad,” Trump added. “I couldn’t believe it. An hour before we are supposed to sign the deal.”
Trump also said Israel had the right to defend itself but that the specific Hezbollah attack Israel responded to was minor and should not have disrupted the emerging deal.
“Israel has the right to defend itself against threats, but the attack it was responding to was very small and meaningless, nobody was hurt, injured or killed and should not disrupt this important process,” Trump said.
The president said the US was close to a regional agreement that would include Lebanon and called on all sides to stop attacking.
“We are very close to a deal that will bring peace to the region, including to Lebanon, and all sides should stand down,” Trump said. “There should be no more attacks by Israel anywhere in Lebanon, but there should also be no more attacks by any other party, including Hezbollah, against Israel.”
In a separate interview reported by Ynet, Trump said Netanyahu should be thankful to the US for its role against Iran.
“He’s a very difficult person,” Trump said. “He should be grateful to us for doing that. Because if Iran had nuclear weapons, Israel wouldn’t exist after two hours.”
The dispute has exposed a widening divide among Trump allies over how far Washington should go in restraining Israel as part of the Iran deal.
Levin’s response aligned him with other pro-Israel Republicans who have argued that Israel should retain freedom of action against Hezbollah and Iran-backed forces even as Trump seeks to conclude the agreement with Tehran.
Trump appointed Levin to the Homeland Security Advisory Council in 2025 as part of what he called a revamped advisory body. Levin, a longtime conservative commentator and strong supporter of Israel, has frequently defended Israeli military action against Iran, Hamas and Hezbollah on his Fox News program and radio show.
Levin’s post suggested that at least some Trump-aligned conservatives see the president’s criticism of Netanyahu as a reversal from the two countries’ wartime partnership.
“How does this make any sense?” Levin wrote.


