Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended himself against the recent accusation by US President Joe Biden that he was hurting Israel more than helping in its war against Hamas.
In a candid interview with Politico, Netanyahu claimed his policies are broadly supported by the Israeli public and are not detrimental to Israel’s interests as Biden suggested.
“I don’t know exactly what the president meant, but if he meant by that I’m pursuing private policies against the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he’s wrong on both counts,” Netanyahu said.
“These are not my private policies only,” he continued. “They are policies supported by the overwhelming majority of Israelis.”
Netanyahu also stressed the Israeli consensus against allowing the Palestinian Authority to run Gaza after the war, and the rejection of any foreign attempt to “ram down our throats” a Palestinian state.
Biden took a hard stance against Israel on Saturday during a nationally televised interview with MSNBC. He expressed deep concern over Gazan civilian casualties and labeled the planned IDF operation into Rafah a “red line.”
A flurry of reports has recently surfaced indicating Biden’s growing frustration with Netanyahu, including having referred to Bibi as an “asshole” on multiple occasions. Following the State of the Union address, the president was caught on a hot mic saying the two of them were headed for a “come to Jesus” meeting.
