Israeli PM vows not to bow to U.S. ‘pressure’ after being ‘dubbed a coward’
Israel’s Prime Minister has vowed not to bow to “pressure” from Washington, after U.S. administration officials reportedly labelled him a “coward”. An article in The Atlantic magazine quoted unnamed White House officials condemning Benjamin Netanyahu for lacking political courage, his posturing over the Iranian nuclear issue, and for his commitment to the continued construction of illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The article is the latest sign of the apparently deteriorating relationship between the Israeli and U.S. leaderships.
Serious curses such as these towards the Prime Minister of Israel are hurtful to millions of Israeli citizens and Jews around the world. If what was written is true, the current government is planning to throw Israel under the wheels of the bus. I call for the U.S. government to renounce these provocative insults and reject them out of hand.
Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett
Officials in Mr Netanyahu’s office said the Prime Minister would “continue to meet the security interests of Israel’s citizens and the rights of the Jewish people in Jerusalem. No pressure will change that.” Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, the leader of pro-settler Jewish Home party, called on the Obama administration to reject the criticisms, which also described Mr Netanyahu as being “chickens***”. The article comes days after reports the Israelis are forwarding plans for the construction of a further 1,000 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem - beyong the so-called “green line”, which represents Israel’s pre-1967 borders, and which are considered illegal under international law. The latest announcement prompted stern criticism from EU governments and the U.S.
We continue to make our position absolutely clear that we view settlement activity as illegitimate and unequivocally oppose unilateral steps that prejudge the future of Jerusalem.
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki
World Netanyahu