Trump to Netanyahu: 'Do What You Have to Do'

In a phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump backed his military's attacks on Hamas and Hezbollah—telling the prime minister, "Do what you have to do." Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham was on a call this month with the two, the Washington Post reports. "He didn't tell him what to do militarily," Graham said of Trump, "but he expressed that he was impressed by the pagers." That's a reference to the Israeli operation that killed Hezbollah leaders using explosive batteries placed inside pagers. "He expressed his awe for their military operations and what they have done," Graham said.

Trump has played to both Jewish and Muslim voters with contradictory positions on the attacks in Gaza and Lebanon, the Post notes. Appearing before Jewish voters, he has cast himself as Israel's best friend even as surrogates tell Arab communities in the US that Trump opposes the war. The Republican nominee's message conflicts with the Biden administration's efforts to keep Israel from escalating its battle with Iran. Israel carried out retaliatory strikes early Saturday against military targets in Iran. "I hope this is the end," Biden told reporters, per the AP. (More Israel-Hamas war stories.)