The Wire Staff 
New Delhi: US President-elect Donald Trump has shared a provocative video that labels Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “deep, dark son of a bitch”. This move comes just weeks after Netanyahu described their discussion on hostage negotiations and Syria policy as “very friendly” and “warm”.
The video, posted on Truth Social, features economist Jeffrey Sachs accusing Netanyahu of manipulating US foreign policy and orchestrating “endless wars” in the Middle East. Sachs claims that Netanyahu has been pursuing a systematic strategy since 1995 to eliminate Hamas and Hezbollah by targeting their supporting governments in Iraq, Iran, and Syria.
Sachs alleges that Netanyahu’s actions have led to “endless wars” and that he has “gotten his way” due to his influence in US politics.
“Where did that war come from? You know what? It’s quite surprising. That war came from Netanyahu, actually,” said Sachs.
“Netanyahu had, from 1995 onward, the theory that the only way we’re going to get rid of Hamas and Hezbollah is by toppling the governments that support them. That’s Iraq, Syria, and Iran. And the guy is nothing if not obsessive, and he’s still trying to get us to fight Iran this day, this week,” he added, calling the Israeli leader a “deep, dark son of a bitch.”
Further, Sachs underlined that “[Netanyahu] gotten us [the US] into endless wars, and because of the power of all of this in the US politics, he’s gotten his way, but that war was totally phony.”
Trump’s motives for sharing the video are unclear, but it’s worth noting that he has a history of sharing content critical of establishment policies in Washington.
The timing of Trump’s video share is significant, as it coincides with diplomatic efforts by Egypt, Qatar, and the current US administration to negotiate a truce that includes hostage releases. Trump has also warned that there will be “hell to pay” if Hamas does not release hostages before he takes office. As per reports, approximately 100 hostages remain in Gaza after 15 months of conflict, with two-thirds presumed alive.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 45,000 Palestinians, with a majority of the 2.3 million residents displaced and struggling under harsh winter conditions. In the first nine days of 2025, Israeli forces killed an estimated 490 Palestinians, Al Jazeera reported.
It’s worth noting that during Trump’s first term, he secured significant diplomatic wins for Netanyahu, including recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in 2019 and supporting the Abraham Accords with Gulf states.