U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump may be reigniting tensions with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after sharing a video on his social media featuring a scathing critique of the Israeli leader by Columbia University Professor Jeffrey Sachs, who is Jewish.
In the video, Sachs refers to Netanyahu as a "deep, dark son of a b***h" and accuses him of being responsible for the wars in Syria and Iraq, as well as for pushing the U.S. into a potential conflict with Iran.
Prof. Jeffrey Sachs: 'Netanyahu is a deep, dark son of a b***h'
The video, recorded on October 22, features Sachs claiming that Netanyahu has pursued a policy since the 1990s aimed at dismantling regimes that support Hamas and Hezbollah—Iran, Iraq and Syria. According to Sachs, Netanyahu was instrumental in driving U.S. involvement in wars in those countries.
"The guy is nothing if not obsessive," Sachs says in the video. "He’s still trying to get us to fight Iran this day, this week. He’s a deep, dark son of a b***h, I’m sorry to tell you, because he’s gotten us into endless wars. And because of the power of all of this in U.S. politics, he's gotten his way."
The video sparked immediate backlash on social media, with many questioning why Trump’s campaign chose to share such a harsh critique from one of Israel’s most vocal detractors, especially in the wake of the October 7 attacks.
Some interpreted the move as a clear signal that Trump intends to distance himself from Netanyahu, while others saw it as a calculated step in the complex relationship between the two leaders. Trump has consistently advocated for ending wars in the Middle East and stated during his campaign that he has no intention of starting new wars—only ending them. However, he has refrained from committing to withholding U.S. support for an Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The relationship between Trump and Netanyahu has been strained in recent years, particularly after Trump accused Netanyahu of "disloyalty" for congratulating Joe Biden on his 2020 presidential, which the Republican leader continues to contest.
Interestingly, Trump’s post, which accompanied Sachs’s video, did not directly reference Netanyahu. Instead, it targeted former U.S. President Barack Obama and the American media. The post, originally shared by the “Wall Street Apes” page, read: “Jeffrey Sachs details how Barack Obama ordered the CIA to overthrow the Syrian government, and the American media covered it up. He says journalists either lie when blaming Russia or are unimaginably ignorant, claiming Russia intervened in Syria.”
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Prof. Sachs continued: “Obama tasked the CIA to overthrow the Syrian government, starting four years before Russia intervened. What kind of nonsense is that? How many times did The New York Times report on operation Timber-Sycamore, which was the Presidential order to the CIA to overthrow Bashar al-Assad?”
Sachs, known for his frequent criticism of Israel in interviews and public forums, opposes Israel’s actions in Gaza and efforts to eliminate Hamas. He has accused Israel of committing genocide and pursuing ethnic cleansing in Gaza, alleging tacit support from Washington.
Sachs further claims Syria’s collapse is part of a strategic plan by Netanyahu to expand Israel’s borders. According to him, Israel rejects a two-state solution because Netanyahu seeks perpetual control over all territory between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea.