Axios reported on July 14 that, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, President Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during a phone call last Thursday to withdraw Israeli forces from Syria and Lebanon.
A U.S. official said Trump told Netanyahu that the presence of Israeli troops on Syrian soil is creating tension and could lead to an escalation of conflict. The same goes for Lebanon.
“They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” the U.S. official quoted Trump as saying.
In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said, “For his part, the prime minister raised the necessity of establishing a security zone on Israel’s borders.”
The report said the Trump administration had been urging Israel and Syria to reach a new security agreement for months, but ultimately concluded that Netanyahu is unwilling to compromise.
As for Lebanon, under a framework agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon in June, Israel committed to withdrawing from two “pilot zones” it currently occupies in southern Lebanon and allowing the Lebanese army to deploy there. However, the Israel Defense Forces have yet to withdraw from these two areas. The Lebanese government wants to launch this process and set a clear timeline for withdrawal.
Some analysts believe that with just three months until Israel’s general election—an election that could determine Netanyahu’s political fate and even personal freedom—Netanyahu is unlikely to take major steps to pull Israeli forces out of occupied Syrian territory or allow a redeployment on Lebanon beyond what he has already agreed to. However, Trump’s demand has increased pressure on the Israeli leader.