President Donald Trump said Israel would not exist without the support of the United States during a summit in Italy.
The statement underscores the strategic dependency of the Israeli state on American diplomatic and military assistance while the U.S. navigates complex cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hezbollah.
Trump made the remarks June 1, 2026 [1], while attending the G7 summit in the Apulia region of Italy. The comments came as the U.S. administration worked to manage regional tensions and facilitate a suspension of hostilities between the warring parties.
According to reports from the summit, Trump said that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to suspend hostilities. He said there would be no Israeli troops deployed in Beirut as part of the arrangements.
However, reports on the U.S. position regarding military action varied. One report indicated that Trump guaranteed a cease-fire and the absence of troops in Beirut, while another report said that Trump said Israel has U.S. approval to retaliate against Hezbollah attacks.
The president's comments during the summit highlight the central role the U.S. plays in mediating Middle Eastern conflicts. By linking Israel's existence to American support, Trump signaled that the U.S. remains the primary guarantor of Israeli security, even as it pushes for a diplomatic resolution to the current crisis.
“Israel would not exist without American support”
The statement reinforces a transactional framework of the US-Israel alliance, suggesting that American strategic support is the fundamental pillar of Israeli sovereignty. By pairing this claim with contradictory signals regarding retaliation and cease-fires, the administration appears to be using both the threat of force and the promise of diplomacy to leverage a favorable outcome in the Hezbollah negotiations.
