US President Joe Biden is not fully supporting Israel’s goals in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir told the Wall Street Journal.
Instead of giving us his full backing, Biden is busy with giving humanitarian aid and fuel (to Gaza), which goes to Hamas,” he said.
“If Trump was in power, the US conduct would be completely different,” Ben Gvir, head of the nationalistic Jewish Power party, added.
Benny Gantz, a former defense minister and a member of Israel’s war cabinet, hit back at Ben Gvir, calling his comments “irresponsible” in a post on X and urging Netanyahu to “call (him) to order.”
“It is permissible to have disputes, even with our largest and most important ally (the United States), but they must be conducted in the relevant forums and not in irresponsible statements in the media, which harm the strategic relations of the State of Israel, the security of the state, and the war effort at this time,” he said.
Head of the opposition Yair Lapid also slammed Ben Gvir’s comments on X, saying that the interview was “a direct attack on Israel’s international standing, a direct assault on the war effort, harmful to Israel’s security, and, above all, proves that he understands nothing about foreign policy.”
Netanyahu is under pressure from all sides, as disputes in his coalition and war cabinet threaten to bring the government to a breaking point, and large rallies across the country are demanding he step down and send the country to an election.
