At Jerusalem Summit, Herzog Defends Trump as Israeli Anger Over Iran Deal Boils

by | Jun 22, 2026 | News

President Isaac Herzog used a high-profile summit in Jerusalem on Monday to push back forcefully against a wave of Israeli criticism of US President Donald Trump, insisting that the American leader remains a trusted partner even as many in Israel seethe over his newly signed memorandum of understanding with Iran.

Speaking at the Jewish News Syndicate International Policy Summit, Herzog denounced what he called derogatory statements made by some in Israel about Trump in the wake of the Iran agreement. He described the president as Israel’s closest friend and ally and as the leader of the free world, crediting him with combating what he called an empire of evil and working to promote stability across the Middle East. The United States, Herzog said, has taken a clear stance on Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and he expressed confidence that the two allies could together find the right formula to confront the challenge.

The remarks landed at a charged moment. The US-Iran understanding, signed days earlier, has been savaged across much of the Israeli political spectrum and press, with commentators branding it a capitulation that leaves Israel exposed. That anger has spilled into pointed personal criticism of Trump himself, a turn that clearly unsettled Herzog, whose role as head of state often casts him as guardian of the vital Washington relationship.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also addressed the summit, struck a more layered note. He acknowledged the friction with Washington, allowing that Israel and the United States often see eye to eye but sometimes do not, while insisting that the security of Israel’s citizens comes first. He closed with a rallying call to the gathered delegates to stand up for the truth, for Israel, for the Jewish people, and for the Jewish future.

US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, addressing the same summit, sought to reassure the audience of the enduring bond between the two nations. The competing tones, Herzog’s full-throated defense, Netanyahu’s careful balancing, captured a genuine debate now playing out in Jerusalem over how far Israel can afford to challenge a president it still needs, even as it bristles at the deal he has struck with its most dangerous adversary. The summit continues this week in the capital.

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