Israeli writer Barak Ravid claimed that former U.S. President Donald Trump used "ugly insults" while discussing former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Ravid, Axios' correspondent in Israel, noted that Trump and Netanyahu were close political allies during the four years Trump was in the White House and Netanyahu was in power in Israel.
Ravid pointed out that Trump repeatedly criticized Netanyahu during interviews for his book about the Abraham Accords, which led to four Arab countries establishing diplomatic relations with Israel. However, the final straw for Trump was when Netanyahu congratulated President Joe Biden 12 hours after American media outlets announced his victory in the presidential elections, while Trump was contesting the results.
Ravid quoted Trump as saying he had not spoken with Netanyahu since the U.S. elections, which the former Republican president lost. Trump "also felt he had helped ensure Netanyahu's political survival but did not receive the same in return." He expressed particular anger over the video in which Netanyahu congratulated Biden.
The congratulatory video from Netanyahu came in January when Biden officially took office. Ravid added: "Trump also points to his decisions to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal, move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, maintain U.S. troops in the region, and recognize the Golan Heights as part of Israel before the elections in April 2019... and Trump claims that Netanyahu would have lost the elections without him."
President Joe Biden won the U.S. presidential elections in November 2020, while an Israeli coalition comprising various political spectrums ousted Netanyahu from power in June after he had spent 12 years as Prime Minister.
