Minister in Netanyahu’s government openly endorses President Donald Trump in the November election, celebrates Biden’s withdrawal from the race.
By World Israel News Staff
A government minister in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition has openly endorsed former President Donald Trump in this November’s presidential election, during Netanyahu’s trip to Washington.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir (Otzma Yehudit) told Bloomberg in an interview held in his Jerusalem office published Wednesday that President Joe Biden had severely harmed relations between Israel and the U.S., accusing him of impairing Israel’s ability to defeat Hamas after the October 7th invasion.
“The US has always stood behind Israel in terms of armaments and weapons, yet this time the sense was that we were being reckoned with — that we were trying to be prevented from winning,” Ben-Gvir said. “That happened on Biden’s watch and fed Hamas with lots of energy.”
Ben-Gvir said Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race was no loss to Israel, and offered his support for Trump, saying he was the candidate most likely to give Israel the support it would need in a confrontation with Iran.
“I believe that with Trump, Israel will receive the backing to act against Iran,” Ben-Gvir continued “With Trump it will be clearer that enemies must be defeated.”
“A cabinet minister is supposed to maintain neutrality, but that’s impossible to do after Biden,” said Ben-Gvir, acknowledging that his open endorsement of the Republican candidate could ruffle feathers inside the Israeli government.
Earlier on Wednesday, MK Tzvika Foghel, chairman of the Knesset’s National Security Committee and a fellow member of the Otzma Yehudit party, expressed his hope that Trump wins in this year’s election, while accusing the Biden administration of betraying Israel.
“It will be easier for us with an American administration that understands that we are in an existential war that we need to win. I would very much like to see Trump there, but I do not rule out the possibility that it will be someone else,” Foghel told Arutz Sheva – Israel National News.