In an interview with the US-based Punchbowl news site, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended his recent public criticism of the White House, stating it was “absolutely necessary.” The criticism came after what Netanyahu described as delays in US weapons shipments to Israel.
Netanyahu explained that the issue had been brewing for several months, with numerous attempts made to resolve it through private discussions. “We began to see that we had some significant problems emerging a few months ago. And in fact, we tried, in many, many quiet conversations between our officials and American officials, and between me and the president to try to iron out this diminution of supply,” he said.
“Airing it was absolutely necessary,” says Netanyahu
Despite these efforts, Netanyahu noted that the problem persisted. He raised the issue directly with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Israel, but this also failed to resolve the matter. “I felt that airing it was absolutely necessary after months of quiet conversation that did not solve the problem,” Netanyahu stated.
Netanyahu’s decision to go public with his concerns highlights the ongoing tensions between the Israeli and US administrations regarding military support. The prime minister emphasized that his actions were a last resort, taken only after all other avenues had been exhausted.
The White House was extremely angry at Netanyahu’s decision to go public. The Biden administration even cancelled a high-level meeting with Israel in response. Netanyahu’s comments underline the importance of transparent communication between allies, especially when dealing with critical issues such as national security and defense.
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