In a statement that reportedly left Benjamin Netanyahu “stunned and alarmed,” President Trump declared unilaterally that Israel is banned from bombing Lebanon – using language that went far beyond the terms of the 10-day ceasefire his administration had brokered.
“Israel will not be bombing Lebanon any longer. They are PROHIBITED from doing so by the U.S.A. Enough is enough!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the US would “separately, work with Lebanon, and deal with the Hezbollah situation in an appropriate manner.”
Netanyahu learned of Trump’s declaration through media reports rather than a direct call – a diplomatic humiliation for a leader who has spent years cultivating the relationship as Israel’s most important strategic asset.
Bannon’s Victory Lap
Steve Bannon was visibly joyous at the development, taking direct aim at what he called the “Israel First Project” in Washington. Bannon singled out Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Ted Cruz, and what he described as “the entire cabal in DC” – calling them humiliated by Trump’s move.
Bannon’s message was blunt: the United States is not going to jeopardise its national security or put its young men in jeopardy for a foreign government’s military campaigns. The framing was deliberate – positioning the “Israel First” caucus in Congress as working against American interests, not merely disagreeing on foreign policy.
The Fine Print
Under the actual ceasefire terms, Israel retains the right to take military action “in self-defense, at any time, against planned, imminent, or ongoing attacks” while committing not to conduct offensive operations. Trump’s public declaration of a blanket prohibition went considerably further – creating confusion about what exactly Israel is and is not permitted to do.
The gap between the ceasefire text and Trump’s post suggests either a deliberate escalation of pressure on Netanyahu or a president who decided the carefully negotiated language was insufficient and rewrote the terms on social media.
Either way, the message to Tel Aviv was unmistakable. And for Bannon and the growing faction that views unconditional support for Israel as a liability rather than a virtue, it was the clearest signal yet that the political ground in Washington has shifted beneath the feet of those who assumed it never would.
