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Donald Trumpis furious with Benjamin Netanyahu over a message the former Israeli prime minister sent toJoe Bidenafter his2020 presidential election victory.
“I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi. But I also like loyalty,” Trump said of Netanyahu, using his nickname, in aninterview with journalist Barak RavidforAxios. “The first person to congratulate Biden was Bibi. And not only did he congratulate him, he did it on tape.”
After the election was called in Biden’s favor last November, Netanyahuposted a videocongratulating the president elect on his win. He also described a “long and warm” relationship with Biden over the years and said the incoming president was a “great friend of Israel.”
“I haven’t spoken to him since,” Trump said. “F— him.”
Trump cited his administration’s decision to back out of an agreement previous PresidentBarack Obamamade with Iran in 2015 and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel as reasons Netanyahu owed him his loyalty.
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“There was no one who did more for Netanyahu than me,” Trumpreportedly said. “There was no one who did for Israel more than I did.”
The former president also claimed his decision to recognize the Golan Heights region as part of Israel gave Netanyahu a boost “right before” an April 2019 election. “He would have lost the election if it wasn’t for me,” Trump said.
He also pointed to Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and Russian leader Vladimir Putin for holding off on acknowledging Biden’s 2020 win. “They felt the election was rigged,” Trump claimed, though there isno evidence of widespread fraud.
“Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake,” Trump said of Netanyahu, according toAxios.
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During the call, Trump unsurprisingly blamed his former ally’s defeat on his acceptance of Biden’s win and the message congratulating him months earlier.
“I can tell you that people were very angry with him when he was the first one to congratulate Biden,” Trump said. “The video was almost like he’s begging for love. And I said, ‘My, my how things change.’ So, you know, I was disappointed. That hurt him badly with the people of Israel. As you know, I’m very popular in Israel. I think it hurt him very badly.”
source: people.com
