Jonah Goldberg Calls Netanyahu’s Exploding Pager Gift to Trump ‘Creepy and Weird’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s choice of gift for President Donald Trump during their recent meeting has sparked controversy, with conservative commentator Jonah Goldberg calling it “creepy and weird.”

During a discussion on CNN Thursday evening, host Jake Tapper highlighted the unusual nature of the present—a golden pager—given to Trump as a symbolic gesture. The gift referenced a recent top-secret Israeli military operation in Lebanon, in which targeted pagers used by Hezbollah members were rigged to explode, resulting in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries.

Tapper explained the significance of the pager, saying, “This is an allusion to that obvious top-secret operation carried out in September by Israel in Lebanon, targeted pagers used by members of the group, recognized as terrorists by the U.S., Hezbollah. The pagers exploded. Thousands were wounded, dozens were killed.”

Turning to Goldberg for his thoughts, Tapper pressed, “Any thoughts on this, on this gift, Jonah?” Goldberg, a longtime conservative commentator, did not hold back in his criticism.

“I think it’s kind of creepy and weird,” he responded. “I thought the pager operation was entirely defensible. It was one of the most brilliant masterstrokes of modern military statecraft and espionage. But, you know, if it was a hand grenade, you’d think it’s really weird. And that’s essentially what that thing was, right?”

The choice of gift has added another layer of controversy to an already politically charged meeting between Trump and Netanyahu. The meeting itself set off a firestorm of criticism after Trump suggested the mass removal of Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, proposing that the United States should take an active role in redeveloping the territory.

Netanyahu’s apparent endorsement of Trump’s ideas, coupled with the symbolic gift, has further fueled tensions surrounding U.S. policy in the Middle East. Critics argue that celebrating an operation involving covert assassinations as a diplomatic gift not only sends a provocative message but also raises ethical concerns.

As debates continue over the future of U.S.-Israel relations and Trump’s vision for Gaza, Netanyahu’s golden pager gift remains a stark reminder of the increasingly militarized nature of their partnership—one that is drawing unease even from voices on the right.