Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced swift rebuke Monday after a threatened strike on Hezbollah in Beirut appeared to be shelved following a call from President Trump. Netanyahu had ordered the Israel Defense Forces to target the Iran‑backed militia, but Trump posted that he urged the prime minister to abort “a major raid.”

Opposition leaders seized the moment. Yair Lapid labeled Israel a “total vassal state” on social media, while Naftali Bennett warned that the government had “lost control over Israeli sovereignty.” Both men, poised for the upcoming September election, framed the episode as evidence of Netanyahu’s subservience to Washington. The criticism arrives as the United States negotiates a broader Iran‑Israel de‑escalation, raising doubts about Israel’s strategic autonomy.

Even members of Netanyahu’s coalition voiced unease. Far‑right security minister Itamar Ben‑Gvir posted that a prime minister should say “yes” to the U.S. only when it aligns with Israeli interests, urging a decisive blow against Hezbollah. The internal split underscores growing friction between Israel’s security agenda and its reliance on U.S. diplomatic backing.

The episode arrives amid an active war that began in March, with Hezbollah launching rockets and drones into Israeli territory and Israel seizing parts of southern Lebanon. Investors watch closely, as any perceived loss of Israeli independence could ripple through defense contracts and regional risk premiums, tightening market sentiment on both sides of the Mediterranean.