"To hell with him, ungrateful" was among the phrases used by former U.S. President Donald Trump to criticize his "friend," former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, Netanyahu did not delay in responding. He issued a statement yesterday evening, reaffirming his deep appreciation for Trump's support of Israel and his contribution to its security. He also emphasized his awareness of the importance of the strong alliance between Tel Aviv and Washington, making it important for him to congratulate the incoming president, referring to his congratulation of Joe Biden in January 2021 following his election victory, which angered Trump.
Former President Trump launched a fierce attack on his friend, whom he calls "Bibi," during interviews conducted by an Israeli journalist writing two books about his presidency. In excerpts from these interviews, Trump accused Netanyahu of disloyalty and committing a grave error. He also used profane language and insults, according to Axios, saying, "To hell with him." He added, "I value loyalty, and I did a lot for him, yet he did not reciprocate."
The reasons behind this anger, which turned a long-standing friendship into bitter animosity, appear to stem from a video in which Netanyahu congratulated Biden. In response, the former U.S. president remarked, "He could have waited, but he was the first to congratulate."
It is worth noting that Netanyahu congratulated Biden via tweet more than 12 hours after his election victory, later than most other world leaders. However, he did not refer to Biden as the elected president in that tweet and followed it immediately with a post praising Trump. What seems to have truly upset the former U.S. president was the video posted by Netanyahu on January 20, 2021, the day Biden was inaugurated, in which the former prime minister stated that they shared a "close personal friendship that goes back many decades."
