Jerusalem – Israel’s prime minister said Wednesday that recent verbal attacks against him from the United States were merely because he was “defending Israel” and vowed to carry on with his policies despite the vitriolic rhetoric.
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Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks to parliament followed a report in The Atlantic this week in which unidentified U.S. officials lambasted the Israeli premier for his settlement policies and for undermining American peace efforts. The officials derided Netanyahu as cowardly and recalcitrant, among other insults.
The report reverberated throughout Israel with some coming to prime minister’s defense while others pointing to them as an indication of just how bad relations between the two close allies have gotten under Netanyahu’s watch.
Netanyahu responded that those who attack him do so only because he defends Israel, and stressed that he was “not prepared to make concessions that will endanger our state.”
“Our supreme interests, with security and the unity of Jerusalem first and foremost, are not among the top concerns of those anonymous elements that are attacking us and me personally,” he said.
There have been growing concerns of a new crisis in Israeli-U.S. relations after U.S. officials said the Obama administration last week refused Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon’s requests to meet several top national security aides. The rejection followed negative comments Yaalon made about Secretary of State John Kerry.
The Obama administration has long has a tense relationship with Netanyahu for his close relationship with the Republican Party and for what is often perceived as a lecturing tone toward the president. Netanyahu, meanwhile, has been suspicious of U.S. efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement over Iran’s nuclear program that fails to remove the threat of it acquiring a bomb.
Even within Netanyahu’s coalition there are those, like Finance Minister Yair Lapid, who have vocally expressed worry over the crisis with the United States and said it must be resolved before it endangers Israeli interests.
Among the greatest concerns are that the U.S. may withhold its vast military aid to Israel and stop protecting it from diplomatic attacks at the United Nations.
Economics Minister Naftali Bennett called on the U.S. to “distance itself from the rude remarks and reject them outright,” adding that such abuse not only targeted the prime minister but all Israelis.
However, opposition leader Isaac Herzog placed the blame on Netanyahu, accusing him of playing “political games” with the American administration.
“Netanyahu acts like a political pyromaniac and has brought relations with the United States to an unprecedented nadir,” he told Israel’s Channel 2 online.
So it is wrong to blame him for the things he does?
This is nothing new. Bill Clinton hated Bibi too. In fact he finanaced a campiagn to unseat him and put in Ehud instead. Bibi whether you are right or wrong I suggest you get your act together. Because the white house under Hillary won’t look any differnet than under Obama & Bill.
THAT B…..D IN THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T CARE FOR ANY JEWS. Anybody being arrogant is obama. Bibi’s first responsibility is to Israel and he does not have to bow down to the Haman in the white house. Remember Jews show who is boss next Tuesday and give obama the sock of his life. he; obama should have been impeach for his behaviour with Benghazi, IRS, letting thousand of illegals cross into the USA every day and for the guns given to Mexician cartel
Abu Mazen gets the praises and Netanyahu gets the blame.The reason for no peace is because Abbas can’t agree to any peace proposal , he’s afraid of his life if he did.
don’t let down Bibi and you will get much better results in the world GUARANTEED. People will respect his strength something our leaders in the US are lacking.
“But she married a Jew, so you can consider her Jewess by injection.” You made me laugh. Thank you.
Read Commentary Magazine for an excellent analysis of these leaked insults against Bibi.
Israel must stand up strong for their best interests. I believe that bibi tries to do this. Our current administration does not. Hopefully we can last two more years and change this.
The unemployment rates in the U.S. is a false number. It only counts those still in the job market. You have to look at the overall employment numbers. They have shown that far less people are truly employed and even more under-employed than ever before as a per-cent of the working age population. As the saying goes, “figures lie and liars figure.”
Many people are no longer in the job market and are no longer counted in the unemployment rates. Rate for welfare and food stamps are the highest ever. Government dependency is the highest ever.
It just goes to show how the cool-aide drinkers will grab at any straw, since they are either intellectually deficient or intellectually dishonest or both.
Obama has done such a great job that Democrats don’t want him anywhere near their campaigns. In Maryland, the Democratic candidate for governor was foolish enough to invite Obama and he is now only 2% ahead in the polls in an overwhelmingly Democrat state. People walked out when Obama was speaking, as they had elsewhere too. So much for people even respecting the presidency anymore.