Former President Donald Trump‘s friendship with ex-Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is over according to an interview Trump gave in April to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid for his book, Trump’s Peace: The Abraham Accords and the Reshaping of the Middle East.
Trump railed against Netanyahu for calling President Joe Biden to congratulate him on his victory in the 2020 election and admitted that he has not spoken to Netanyahu in the months that followed.
“I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi. But I also like loyalty. The first person to congratulate Biden was Bibi. And not only did he congratulate him, he did it on tape,” Trump said. “I haven’t spoken to him since. F— him.”
Trump accused Netanyahu of being disloyal.
“Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake,” Trump groused. “There was no one who did more for Netanyahu than me. There was no one who did for Israel more than I did. And the first person to run to greet Joe Biden was Netanyahu. And not only did he congratulate him – he did it in a video. If you look at the leaders of other countries – like Brazil – he waited months. Putin. Many other leaders. Mexico. All of them also felt that the election was over. But they, too, were waiting. No one did more than me for Bibi. Money too. We gave them a lot of money and gave them soldiers. We did everything.”
Both men are entrenched in personal legal woes that at face value are not dissimilar. In addition to the congressional probe into his role in the January 6 Capitol insurrection, Trump and his business, the Trump Organization, are under civil and criminal investigation for fraud and tax evasion in New York.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, is facing corruption charges while simultaneously trying to win back his old job.
