Obama raps Netanyahu for Arab dig
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his warning to citizens that Arab Israeli voters would vote “in droves”.
In his first public comments about Tuesday’s elections with Mr Netanyahu scoring a surprise third term, Mr Obama said “that kind of rhetoric [is] contrary to what is the best of Israel’s traditions”.
The White House said earlier this week Mr Obama warned Mr Netanyahu on Thursday his last-minute campaign pledge to oppose the creation of a Palestinian state and disparage Israeli Arab voters would force a rethink in Washington.
“Although Israel was founded based on the historic Jewish homeland and the need to have a Jewish homeland, Israeli democracy has been premised on everybody in the country being treated equally and fairly,” Mr Obama said.
“I think that is what’s best about Israeli democracy. If that is lost, then not only does it give ammunition to folks who don’t believe in a Jewish state, but it also starts to erode the meaning of democracy in the country.”
Mr Obama also criticised the Israeli leader’s tough stance on the Palestinians, saying the US is now “evaluating” options for peace in the region. “We take him at his word when he said that it wouldn’t happen during his prime ministership and so we’ve got to evaluate what other options are available to make sure that we don’t see a chaotic situation in the region,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu scrambled to deny he had ruled out a Palestinian state — a longtime starting point for Middle East peace efforts and a cornerstone of US policy — but the White House hinted at withdrawing its support for Israel at the UN. The US, a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council, has previously opposed all moves to recognise a Palestinian state. It has also shielded Israel from Arab-led UN votes castigating the Jewish state for alleged human rights abuses. Such a move would represent a major inflection point for US-Israeli relations, the likes of which have not been seen since former US president Ronald Reagan allowed anti-Israel resolutions to pass at the UN after Israel bombed Iraq’s nuclear facilities. Mr Obama said he told Mr Netanyahu: “It is going to be hard to find a path where people seriously believe negotiations are possible.”