O’Reilly: Israeli response to Iran deal ‘a big tell’

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Conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly said Monday that Israel’s response to the new deal to end the war between the U.S. and Iran is “a big tell” and that “the Israelis want the ability to strike back any time they want for any attack on them.”

President Trump announced the deal with Iran on Sunday, and has repeatedly made clear his irritation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who may have endangered the agreement with an attack on the Iranian-backed militia group Hezbollah in Lebanon the same day.

O’Reilly said it’s clear Israeli is opposed to the deal, and that he understood their position.

“Now, in Iran, the Israelis say openly, ‘We’re not going to be part of this. We’re not going to be a part of the deal, no matter what deal [President] Trump makes.’ The Israelis are not going to sign it. They’re not going to be on board,” O’Reilly told NewsNation’s Leland Vittert on “On Balance.”

“That’s a tell, a big tell, because the Israelis want the ability to strike back any time they want for any attack on them. And I don’t blame Israel,” he added.

In Israel, critics across the political spectrum have argued that the reported terms of the deal are too weak in holding back threats from Iran, not just related to its nuclear program but also its ballistic missile capability and its support for terrorist proxies.

Netanyahu has defied pressure from Trump to stop retaliatory attacks against Hezbollah, threatening Iran’s participation in talks.

On Tuesday, Trump said that there “would be no Israel” without him, some of his most direct criticism toward Israel as it continued to attack Lebanon.

“Without the US, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel because no other president was willing to do what I did. I have had a great relationship with Bibi. Now Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump said, speaking at the G7 in Évian-les-Bains, France.

The deal has not been publicly released but would open the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil supply throws, and end fighting between Iran and the U.S. It would also set up new negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.

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Benjamin Netanyahu

Bill O'Reilly

Donald Trump

Iran deal

Israel

Leland Vittert

Trump administration

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