Trump attacks Netanyahu for congratulating Biden

By Barry Ellsworth

TRENTON, Canada (AA) - Former US President Donald Trump fired a profane salvo at Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu for daring to congratulate President Joe Biden after his election win last November.

The ex-president continues to insist he won the election, and Netanyahu's congratulations to Biden undermined Trump's unproven falsehood that the election was rigged. Trump also said Netanyahu seemed to forget his unfailing support.

"Nobody did more for Bibi," Trump said to interviewer Barak Ravid earlier this year as background for a planned book by the Israeli journalist. Excerpts of the spring 2021 interview appeared on the Axios news website, Friday. "And I liked Bibi (Netanyahu's nickname). I still like Bibi.

"But I also like loyalty. Bibi could have stayed silent. I haven't spoken to him since. F--- him."

For his part, Netanyahu said Friday that the alliance of Israel and the US "was important" and he had to congratulate Biden on the win.

“I highly appreciate President Trump’s big contribution to Israel and its security," Netanyahu said in a statement Friday, as reported by Axios. "I also appreciate the importance of the strong alliance between Israel and the U.S. and therefore it was important for me to congratulate the incoming President."

Trump was particularly irate over a Netanyahu video that came out the day before Biden's inauguration Jan. 20 of this year. In it, Netanyahu trumpeted his relationship with Biden as a "warm personal friendship going back many decades."

Trump listed off his good deeds done to support Netanyahu when he was Israel's prime minister, including ditching US opposition to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital, and the withdrawal of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal which Israel adamantly opposed as a dire threat to its survival.

"I'll tell you what - had I not come along I think Israel was going to be destroyed," Trump said. "I think Israel would have been destroyed, maybe by now."