“Israel’s” Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly spoke “with his usual arrogance” to senior Republican officials, detailing what US President Donald Trump “must do", according to Yanir Cozin, a diplomatic correspondent for Israeli Army Radio, who cited a senior Israeli official.

However, Dermer’s approach appears to have backfired. Trump’s inner circle reportedly told him that “Netanyahu is manipulating the American president,” a characterization that did not sit well with Trump.

The cited official noted that “Trump hates nothing more than appearing to be manipulated.”