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The President's Daily Brief
July 22nd, 2025: White House Blasts ‘Madman’ Netanyahu & Britain Backs Trump’s Russia Play
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Mike Baker
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Plus, Iran is back at the negotiating table, sort of. With the threat of renewed UN Sanctions blooming, Tehran has agreed to resume nuclear talks with European powers. And in today's back of the brief, Belgian authorities questioned two Israelis accused of committing war crimes in Gaza. The allegations surfaced after the men were seen at a local music festival. But first, today's PDB Spotlight. We'll begin with reports of growing friction between the Trump administration and leaders in Israel as recent strikes in Syria and Gaza apparently or reportedly or allegedly test the patience of the White House. Now, according to an exclusive report from Axios, Trump's team was left fuming after Israel carried out airstrikes on the Syrian capital of Damascus last Wednesday in defense of the Druze community caught off guard by the strikes. One White House official, speaking anonymously, of course, told Exios that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, quote, acted like a madman and, quote, bombs everything all the time. The source added that Netanyahu's behavior could, quote, undermine what Trump is trying to do in the region. The Trump administration's patience was reportedly further tested on Thursday after stray Israeli munitions struck the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three civilians and wounding 10 others. That incident prompted a visibly angry Trump to call Netanyahu, demanding an explanation and a public apology. A second White House official, also speaking anonymously, told Axios, quote, the feeling is that every day there is something new. Okay, now here, PDB listeners, if you've got any kids there, earmuffs. And the White House official, anonymously speaking, of course, also added, what the fuck? End quote. A third administration source told the outlet that there is a growing sense in the White House that Netanyahu is too trigger happy, saying, quote, netanyahu is sometimes like a child who just won't behave, end quote. Now, we should stress that Trump himself has so far refrained from issuing any public criticism of Israel over the activity in Syria and Gaza, and it's not clear if he shares the frustrations of his advisors. But we do know that two of Trump's top foreign officials and close friends, envoys Tom Barrack and Steve Witkoff, complained directly to Trump about Netanyahu's behavior. They were said to be particularly miffed. Oh, they were miffed by the fact that Israel had promised the White House restraint in Syria, only to go back on their word. As a brief reminder, a little over a week ago, violent clashes erupted between local Druze minority groups and and Sunni Islamist Bedouin fighters in southern Syria, who were soon joined and backed up by the Islamist government forces. The subsequent fighting killed more than 1,000 people, including 336 Druze fighters and 298 civilians from the minority group. The clashes prompted the Israeli government to conduct airstrikes against the Syrian military, including one last Tuesday that hit a convoy of Syrian army tanks. Following Tuesday's strike, special envoy Barak asked Israel to halt its attacks to make room for diplomacy, and Israeli officials agreed. But the very next day, Israel unleashed their largest bombardment of all on Damascus, leveling part of Syria's Defense Ministry building. A US Official told Axios the bombing in Syria caught the president and the White House by surprise. The president doesn't like turning on the television and seeing bombs dropped in a country that he's seeking peace in and made a monumental announcement to help rebuild. For context, the strikes come at a time when President Trump is attempting to normalize ties between Syria and Israel as he looks to expand the Abraham Accords and encourage stability in that war torn region. After Wednesday's strikes, U.S. officials again asked Israel to halt their operations. Netanyahu agreed in exchange for Syrian military forces withdrawing from the Druze communities in southern Syria. By that point, the White House was also dealing with complaints from officials in Turkey and Saudi Arabia who demanded that Jerusalem be reined in. A subsequent ceasefire between Israel and Syria that was announced on Saturday appears to be holding after two earlier truce agreements failed to halt the clashes between the Druze community and Bedouin fighters, again supported by the Syrian Islamist government forces. But whether that's enough to smooth over the diplomatic damage done to the relationship reportedly between the Trump White House and leaders in Jerusalem remains to be seen. One US Official, again speaking anonymously, told Axios that Netanyahu and his allies still don't seem to understand that when it comes to Trump, they're skating on thin ice. The official bluntly stated, quote, the Israelis, oh, earmuffs again. If the kids are listening, he said, quote, the Israelis need to get their head out of their asses. Hmm. Wouldn't that be heads out of their asses? Both would be plural or both would be singular, end quote. Well, actually, that's a really bold statement from an official who apparently isn't bold enough to go public with their statements. It's amazing how tough you can be when you're an anonymous source. Now, as we mentioned yesterday, this also comes against the backdrop of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee's recent criticism of what he sees as growing religious harassment of Christians in Israel. Over the weekend, Huckabee toured the ruins of a Christian church in the west bank that was reportedly set ablaze by Israeli settlers, calling it a crime against humanity and God. Huckabee, one of the most vocal supporters of Israel in the Trump administration, warned that he may soon declare that Israel no longer welcomes Christian groups. Israeli officials have not commented on that situation, but expressed surprise by the White House's reaction to the Syrian strikes, arguing that they had to protect the lives of the Druze minority. Regardless, US Officials, again speaking anonymously, warned that Trump's goodwill towards Netanyahu could soon run out. All right, coming up after the break, Britain throws its weight behind Trump's 50 day ultimatum to Putin, while Iran agrees to resume nuclear talks with Europe in an effort to avoid looming UN Sanctions. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let's take a brief moment to talk about ways to protect your hard earned savings. Now, I know that personal finance talk isn't everybody's favorite, but it is important to your financial health. Now, one of the smartest ways to protect your savings, your hard earned savings, is through diversification. And one way to diversify is with gold from the Birch Gold Group. Gold is up some 40% in the past year. And central banks, well, they're buying up record amounts to in part because of global instability. Birch Gold Group makes it easy to own physical gold either in your IRA or like a lot of folks just stored safely at home. Text PDB to the number 989898 and Birch Gold will send you a free information kit on Gold. 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British Defense Secretary John Healy made the announcement Monday during a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which of course has an acronym and that would be UDCG, syncing directly with Trump's 14 July warning that any country continuing to do business with Russia after the deadline would face 100% economic sanctions. Trump's threat underscores mounting frustration with Putin's double talk when it comes to ceasefire talks as the Kremlin continues to escalate hostilities rather than engage in good faith negotiations. Well, that's because Putin isn't currently interested in in good faith negotiations. Despite long, repeated overtures for a negotiated settlement, Moscow has shown little interest in actual compromise. Actually, they've shown no interest in any compromise. At the top of the meeting, Healey said, quote, trump started the clock on a 50 day deadline and as members of this UDCG, we need to step up and turn with a 50 day drive to arm Ukraine on the battlefield and to help push Putin to the negotiating table. But while the rhetoric is forceful, the specifics remain opaque. The British Ministry of Defense declined to clarify what, if any, hard commitments it expects from partner nations, raising questions about how coordinated this effort truly is. Healy urged NATO countries to take advantage of the newly minted U.S. nATO arms sale agreement, which, as we covered here on the pdb, streamlines the process for allied nations to purchase and transfer American weapons to Ukraine directly. The deal is a clear invitation to let Europe shoulder more of the load and reduce Washington's direct exposure to the war. Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Mike Ryan told Fox News that the strategy is a win win, stating the Europeans are stepping up their support for Ukraine, the American taxpayer is getting a break, Europe is buying more American arms and Ukraine is getting the help it needs. Yesterday's meeting marked Healey's fourth time chairing the UDCG and his third alongside German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, who, fresh off talks with U.S. defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, confirmed the same day of Berlin's delivery of five Patriot missile batteries to Ukraine. The two also announced a joint $54 million pledge to deliver more air defense systems, positioning the effort as a broader campaign not just for Ukraine's survival but for Europe's long term security, Healey said. This is a critical moment, a time for all allies and partners to share the burden to support Ukraine both in the fight now and to secure peace in the future, end quote. The UK for its part, has already committed more than 6 billion. That's with a B in military aid to Ukraine this year. And with Trump's deadline ticking down, London is now working to rally European partners and send a unified message to Moscow that the next phase of the war may not favor Russia. Alright, turning to nuclear negotiations, Iran is set to return to talks with Britain, France and Germany on Friday in Istanbul, Turkey, not out of goodwill, but under the looming threat of renewed UN sanctions that could hammer its already battered economy. The European trio is threatening to trigger the snapback clause embedded in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which of course was also known as the jcpoa, a mechanism that allows any signatory to unilaterally restore sanctions if Iran is found in significant non compliance of the deal and at its nuclear sites. European officials aren't pulling punches. Their immediate objective is force the mullahs to resume cooperation with the UN's nuclear watchdog and reverse the uranium enrichment that's crept close to weapons grade. That warning gives the regime until the end of August to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors back in and scale down its uranium enrichment or face a diplomatic and economic crackdown that allies like Russia or China won't be able to veto. It's worth remembering that these are the same sanctions that were lifted a decade ago despite a return to negotiations, iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Monday. At present, we have no plans to hold talks with the United States. No surprise given that the regime is still seething, of course, over American airstrikes last month launched jointly with Israel targeting its nuclear facilities. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghi, in a statement last week after talking with European officials and EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallas, tried to shift the blame. Hmm. Of course, he said the US withdrew from a two year negotiated deal coordinated by the EU in 2015, not Iran, insisting that Europe has no moral and legal ground to reimpose sanctions. Now, I don't want to touch on the absurdity of the globe's largest state sponsor of terrorism and invoking the concept of morality. Oh, I think I just did touch on it. But European diplomats aren't waiting for moral clarity. The snapback mechanism bypasses all diplomatic hurdles, meaning Iran could soon find itself back under sweeping international sanctions without a single vote being cast. And that's what has the Iranian regime concerned. Of course. An Iran expert at the Washington based think tank dawn said preventing European countries from triggering the snapback mechanism is critical for Iran. The expert warned that if sanctions return, hardliners within the regime may retaliate by pulling out of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty. That's a move that Israel might interpret as justification for another round of military strikes. While Tehran still insists its nuclear program remains peaceful. The IAEA reports that Iran's enriched uranium stockpile remains large enough to eventually produce up to 10 nuclear weapons. Not to mention, there is really no peaceful or civilian use reason for enriching uranium to the 60% level, as Iran has done. And some officials in the regime are no longer hiding behind peaceful pretenses, openly suggesting that nuclear weapons would serve as a vital deterrent, especially after the US Strikes. All of which makes Friday's meeting in Istanbul a potential tipping point. It may be Europe's last shot at pulling Iran back from nuclear breakout, and it could be their regime's last chance to walk away from confrontation. Okay, coming up next in the back of the brief, two Israelis accused of war crimes in Gaza are questioned by Belgian police after being spotted at a music festival. The brief detention follows complaints from pro Palestinian groups and has sparked a wider legal probe. Stay with us. Hey, Mike Baker here. I want to take just a few moments to talk about your online security. And that's important, right? Critically important. Right now. The headlines, I'm sure you probably noticed, are chock full of stories about data breaches and also about regulatory rollbacks. And frankly, all those things can make us, well, more vulnerable. But here's the thing. There is something you can do about it. I want to tell you about a terrific business. It's called Deleteme. Now Deleteme is here to make it easy, quick and safe to remove your personal data online. Deleteme constantly monitors and removes your personal info from data broker sites, sending regular reports so you know exactly what's been found and what's been deleted. Take control of your data and keep your private life private by signing up for Deleteme. And now PDB listeners can get a special discount. 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Hey, I'm Caitlin Becker, the host of the New York Postcast, and I've got exactly what you need to start your weekdays. Every morning, I'll bring you the stories that matter, plus the news. People actually talk about the juicy details in the worlds of politics, business, pop culture and everything in between. It's what you want from the New York Post wrapped up in one snappy show. Ask your smart speaker to play the NYPostcast podcast, listen and subscribe on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Mike Baker
In today's back of the brief, two Israeli civilians are facing war crime accusations after attending a popular music festival in Belgium last week. The federal Prosecutor's office in Brussels released a statement Monday saying that two members of the Israeli army had been briefly detained in question questioned by authorities after a pro Palestinian group accused them of, quote, serious violations of international humanitarian law. According to a report from the Guardian, the pair were spotted near Antwerp at the Tomorrowland Festival, one of the largest annual electronic music events in the world. Sorry I missed that. Officials with the pro Palestinian activist group reported the men to authorities after allegedly spotting them at the festival waving the flag of the Javadi Brigade. That's an Israeli military unit involved in IDF operations in Gaza. The federal prosecutor's office said they had asked police to locate and interview the men following the complaint, adding that following these interviews, they were released, but the investigation is reportedly ongoing, with prosecutors arguing that Belgian courts have extraterritorial jurisdiction over alleged war crimes. The current whereabouts of the Israeli civilians was not immediately clear, and Belgian officials said that no further information will be given at this stage of the investigation. In a brief statement to the Associated Press, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said only one of the two men was an Israeli soldier and that the pair were on vacation in Belgium when they were taken in for interrogation. They added that Israeli officials are working to resolve the issue and are in contact with both men, while the pro Palestinian group that reported the men celebrated the brief interrogation as a, quote, turning point in the global pursuit of accountability. That's quite grand. The European Jewish association slammed Belgian authorities for giving credibility to what they say was clearly a politically motivated complaint. In a statement, the association said these soldiers were carrying out their lawful duties in defense of their country, duties comparable to those of any soldier serving in a democratic nation. End quote. Israeli officials have regularly stated that their troops follow international law and strive to limit harm to civilians in the war against the Hamas terrorists in Gaza. Still, members of the IDF have been increasingly targeted while overseas by pro Palestinian groups accusing Israel of crimes against humanity. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday, 22 July. Now, if you have any questions or comments, and I hope you do, please reach out to me@pdbhefirsttv.com and of course to listen to the show ad free. You can do that. Become a premium member of the President's Daily Brief by visiting PDB Premium. And finally, don't forget to take a minute out of your busy day to check out and subscribe to our possibly highly acclaimed YouTube channel. You can find it on YouTube, of course, at President's Daily Brief. I hope you check it out. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB Afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool. It.