Facing a difficult re-election campaign back home, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has turned his fire on former U.S. President Barack Obama in a new campaign ad.
Netanyahu tweeted out a clip, which is part of a campaign ad, Thursday morning of his infamous 2011 exchange with Obama in the Oval Office when he lectured the then-president about the Israel-Palestinian Conflict and a possible return to the 1967 borders. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: The Obama Administration Called Netanyahu A ‘Chickensh**’)
— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) March 28, 2019
“It’s not gonna happen. Everybody knows it’s not gonna happen,” Netanyahu says to Obama in the clip. “And I think it’s time to tell the Palestinians forthrightly it’s not going to happen.”
The clip than pans to Obama foreign policy adviser and frequent Israel critic Ben Rhodes, who rips Netanyahu for his comments. (RELATED: Book Reveals How Trump’s Election Shocked Obama)
“I’ve never seen a foreign leader speak to the president like that,” Rhodes said. “And, I’ve certainly never seen it happen in the Oval Office.”
The advertisement then moves on to Netanyahu explaining the irrationality of expecting Israel to negotiate with a terrorist regime that has called for the genocide of the Jewish people.
“Israel obviously cannot be asked to negotiate with a government that is backed by the Palestinian version of Al Qaeda,” Netanyahu said.
The anti-Israel Jewish organization J Street released a statement condemning the Israel prime minister for the advertisement, according to The Times Of Israel.
“Netanyahu apparently decided to destroy the remaining support his government has in the Democratic Party. Instead of thanking President Obama for signing the largest ever [military] aid package for Israel, Netanyahu takes pride in the lack of respect he showed Obama,” J Street director Yael Patir said.
The Israeli Knesset elections are set to take place April 9.