A US official close to the White House on Thursday criticized comments made by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an article published by Israel Hayom on Wednesday, saying they were insulting to the current American administration and to the Democratic party.
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In his article in Israel Hayom and in a recent speech before the Knesset plenum, Netanyahu denounced the "no surprises" policy declared by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and called on the government to publicly oppose the administration's intention to return to the nuclear deal with Iran.
"Instead of speaking out publicly and clearly to sway American public opinion in Israel's favor and against returning to the nuclear deal, the current government is doing nothing. Does the government really think it will be able to convince anyone behind closed doors or with an occasional tweet?" Netanyahu wrote.
As stated, an American official close to the White House said such remarks were harmful to US-Israeli relations and create a false impression that the Biden administration and Democratic party were abandoning Israel and were uncommitted to its security.
"President Biden is leading a clear position inside the Democratic party of commitment to Israel and its security, his approach bolsters the bi-partisan support that Israel needs. Netanyahu's comments, however, create the impression that the current administration doesn't care about Israel, which consequently weaken the Democratic party's commitment to Israel," the American official said.
Meanwhile, Israel Hayom has learned that American diplomat Yael Lempert will go back to being involved in Israeli and Middle East affairs, and serve in a senior position in the US State Department.
In the past, Lempert has been criticized by Israeli officials for harboring pro-Palestinian positions. Under the Obama administration, she played a pivotal role in finalizing the significant US aid package to Israel, which was widely viewed as positive for Israel.
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