Ex-Israeli prime minister says Tel Aviv could have rejected US-Iran agreement

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tel Aviv could have rejected the US-Iran agreement, stressing that it is possible to say “no” to US President Donald Trump.

Bennett made the remarks in an interview with 103FM, affiliated with the Israeli daily Maariv, which circulated after Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18, 2026.

During the interview, Bennett criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying the recent war with Iran “ended in a terrible failure.”

He argued that “Iran continues its nuclear program and is moving forward with its ballistic missile program, while the regime remains in place.”

Asked whether he would be able, if he were prime minister now, to reject a request from Trump, Bennett replied: “I have said no before to US President Joe Biden.”

Bennett said Biden had pressured Israel near the end of Netanyahu’s previous term to approve the opening of a US consulate for Palestinians in East Jerusalem, claiming Netanyahu had initially agreed to the move.

“When I took office (2021-2022), Biden said he wanted to establish the consulate, and I told him: Mr. President, Jerusalem is the capital of only one state, Israel, and I can only refuse,” Bennett said.

He concluded: “So yes, we can stand and say no.”

On Wednesday evening, US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian electronically signed the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,” which is intended to pave the way for ending the war launched by Washington and Tel Aviv against Iran on Feb. 28.

The US and Iran will hold technical-level talks in Burgenstock, Switzerland, on Sunday as a follow-up to the signing of the memorandum, said a Pakistani Foreign Ministry statement on Saturday.