Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his relationship with President Donald Trump "couldn't be better."

He described the U.S.-Israel alliance as strong, despite occasional policy disagreements and praising the United States as the world's leading defender of freedom.

During an interview on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren," Netanyahu dismissed reports of friction between the two leaders over policy toward Iran, saying close allies can disagree while maintaining a strong partnership.

Asked how he would describe his relationship with Trump and the United States, Netanyahu said it should be described "the way President Trump described it."

"He said it couldn't be better. But as you say, friends can have agreements and disagreements."

Netanyahu said the two leaders see eye to eye on most issues but have differed on some matters, including a possible U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Turkey.

"We agree on just about everything, but there are areas of disagreement," he said. "I just mentioned one of them, which is providing F-35s to Turkey.

"I think this is not a good thing."

Netanyahu said he has shared those concerns directly with Trump rather than keeping them private.

"And by the way, what I'm telling you, I say to my friend, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, in private conversations. It's not that I'm hiding it," he said.

Netanyahu said the ability to speak candidly reflects the strength of the alliance between the two countries.

"I feel confident enough in our friendship, in our alliance, that I can tell him what I think is important for the interests of protecting Israel. And he tells me what he thinks is important for the interests of the United States," he said.

"This is a real friendship, a real alliance," Netanyahu added, calling the relationship genuine.

"As in any friendship, in any family, you can have broad agreements and some disagreements. Nothing bad from that."

Later in the interview, Netanyahu praised the United States' role in world history.

"I will say that we passed just a few days ago a seminal date, the 250th anniversary of the United States," he said. "I want to send, take this opportunity to send, our congratulations to the American people, because the United States of America has been the sentinel of security and peace and freedom."

Netanyahu said America's global leadership helped defeat some of history's most dangerous regimes.

"And if it weren't for the United States, you know, Nazism could have won. Stalinism could have won," he said.

"And we would have entered into a dark age for God knows how many hundreds of years."

Netanyahu said Israel remains grateful for the relationship between the two democracies.

"So the United States has been the guardian of freedom. And we in Israel, a free democratic country, we salute the United States," he said.

Netanyahu also pointed to the ability of both nations to openly debate public issues as a defining characteristic of democracy.

"I know there are a lot of discussions, there are a lot of arguments inside America, which is a robust democracy. We have a lot of arguments inside Israel," he said.

"We're a robust democracy, too. But I never lose sight of the fact that it is the ability to have disagreements that marks a free country," Netanyahu continued.

"And so many of the regimes around us, beginning with Iran and in Turkey, too, they don't let this open discussion happen. Because if you disagree with the regime, you end up in jail," he said. "That's not the American way, and it's not the Israeli way." 

"And thank God we have our two democracies to continue the tradition of freedom and open discourse," Netanyahu concluded.

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