A member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration sent his reassurances to Donald Trump after the president-elect tweeted out that Israel “stay strong” until Inauguration Day.
The U.S.-Israel relationship has been strained in the days since the Obama administration chose to allow the United Nations to pass a resolution condemning Israeli settlement building in disputed territories. Before Secretary of State John Kerry delivered a speech Wednesday criticizing Israel’s settlement expansion, Trump took to Twitter saying the U.S. “cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect… Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!”
Israel Education Secretary Naftali Bennett responded directly to that tweet, saying he is speaking on “behalf of Israel.”
“We’ve stayed strong for 3000 years; we can surely stay strong for another 30 days!” Bennett said.
On behalf of Israel: Thanks, President-Elect Trump.
We’ve stayed strong for 3000 years; we can surely stay strong for another 30 days!???? https://t.co/cKKFc9OZZM— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) December 28, 2016
He added that Kerry has “good intentions,” but that his policy is “divorced from reality: Left Mideast in flames, Syrian genocide, Iran racing to bomb, Israel abandoned.”
Kerry–good intentions but policy divorced from reality:
Left Mideast in flames, Syrian genocide, Iran racing to bomb, Israel abandoned.— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) December 28, 2016
Earlier in the day, Netanyahu expressed his gratitude towards Trump. “President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel!” he said, adding the same Israel and U.S. flag emojis included in Bennett’s tweets.
The Israeli prime minister also spoke out against Kerry’s speech explaining the U.S. abstention, calling it “almost as unbalanced as the anti-Israel resolution passed at the U.N. last week.”
