(i24) Israel’s Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu defended former U.S. president Donald Trump amid accusations of antisemitism regarding comments made on his Truth Social application.
While on MSNBC to promote his new memoir “Bibi: My Story,” Netanyahu rejected the notion that Trump’s comments resulted from his antisemitism.
“He has a Jewish son-in-law, and his daughter converted to Judaism,” Netanyahu said. “His children and grandchildren are raised as Jews. So I don’t think so.”
The former president criticized American Jews for seeming to lack appreciation toward him, saying on Truth Social, “U.S. Jews have to get their act together and appreciate what they have in Israel. Before it is too late.”
“But I think it reflects his frustrations which happens to many politicians when they feel they don’t get credit for the things they did,” Netanyahu continued. “By the way, I have to tell you, I’m not an exception. All of us belong to that.”
“American Jews, by and large, and a great majority support Israel warmly, and some – especially in the radical, progressive wing – do not. But the great majority in the Democratic Party do,” he said, noting “a certain myopia here on the assessment of American Jews” in Trump’s comments.
Netanyahu and Trump had a notoriously warm relationship during their tenures as heads of state, which soured when Joe Biden took over as U.S. president.
In an interview with an Israeli journalist last year, Trump notably said of the former premier, “F*ck him,” expressing frustration with Netanyahu for congratulating Biden on his election victory.
“He was very early,” Trump said. “Like earlier than most. I haven’t spoken to him since.”
