Minister-without-portfolio and National Unity chairman MK Benny Gantz, opposition leader and centrist Yesh Atid party chairman MK Yair Lapid, Labor chairwoman MK Merav Michaeli, and other Israeli politicians blasted National Security Minister MK Itamar Ben-Gvir’s comment to The Wall Street Journal on Sunday that former US president Donald Trump would have been more beneficial to Israel in its current war against Hamas than current US President Joe Biden.
In the WSJ interview, Ben-Gvir said, “Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with humanitarian aid and fuel [to Gaza], which goes to Hamas. If Trump was in power, the US conduct would be completely different.”
“It’s okay to disagree, even with our largest and most important ally, but we must act in the relevant forums and not via irresponsible comments in the media, that harm Israel’s strategic relations, national security, and the war effort at this time,” Gantz wrote on X.
“The prime minister needs to reprimand the national security minister, who, instead of taking care of internal security issues – is causing enormous damage to Israel’s foreign relations,” Gantz added.
Lapid: Ben-Gvir’s statement is “a direct blow to Israel’s international status”
Lapid said in a statement, “Ben-Gvir’s interview to The Wall Street Journal is a direct blow to Israel’s international status, a direct blow to the war effort, is damaging to Israeli security, and mainly proves that he understands nothing about foreign relations. I would call on the prime minister to reign him in, but Netanyahu has no control over the extremists in his government.”
Michaeli wrote on X, “What Netanyahu did against Obama and against Biden under the guise of leadership, Ben Gvir is doing under the guise of brattishness. Both are part of the ruin that Netanyahu has brought and continues to bring upon Israel since he and Ben Gvir incited against Rabin, and even now they are inciting against Biden.”