Israel’s US ambassador backs Netanyahu, criticizes legal system in interview

24 May 2025 16:58
24 May 2025 17:06

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Israel’s US ambassador backs Netanyahu, criticizes legal system in interview

Dr. Yechiel Leiter (Photo: Screenshot)

Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, sharply criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political opponents and his legal challenges in an interview with the conservative American YouTube channel PragerU, released on Saturday.

Leiter accused law enforcement of trying to “break” Netanyahu, slammed the opposition for spreading “horrible things,” and said the left was leveling “blood libels” against the prime minister, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

“There is nothing more malicious and malevolent than to level such charges at the prime minister,” said Leiter, referring to claims that Netanyahu is prolonging the war in Gaza for political reasons.

“I’ve known the prime minister for 40 years. He's a sensitive man who cares about people. What kind of insanity is that? How they dare say something as malicious as that? He wants the war to end in victory because he carries the weight of the Jewish people on his shoulders.”

Leiter, a longtime Netanyahu ally who served as his chief of staff at the Finance Ministry, was appointed ambassador in November 2024, just ten days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration. While he has frequently taken a hard line against international critics of Israel, this was his most direct intervention in Israel’s internal politics to date.

The ambassador said it was outrageous that Netanyahu had to appear in court while leading a war. “He was in court the week that he was planning the operation in Lebanon. Over what accusation? That we ordered submarines from Germany and why was it from Germany and not from elsewhere? And these are all trumped-up charges. It has to stop.”

Leiter argued that some of the hatred directed at Netanyahu stems from his representation of traditional values. “Some of the hatred for our prime minister is because he represents a return to values. When he says we’re fighting barbarism, that riles postmodern thinking. He’s hated for that but he’s also loved by the people who want to see a return to basic values.”

Asked about the claim that even in Israel some accuse Netanyahu of personal motives, Leiter responded that such accusations stem solely from “the extreme left that has a lot of sway in certain areas of the media.” He said the media is “obsessed” with bringing Netanyahu down and said they should avoid “crossing a line.”

News.Az