Israeli Sports and Culture Minister Limor Livnat said that Israel had “fallen into the hands of a horrible American administration,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
“The administration isn’t what it once was; it is harder” on us, the Likud Party member said Nov. 26 at a Likud meeting in Beersheba.
Regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of a 10-month settlement freeze, Livnat added that “the pressures are great, and it is not easy to stand up to the American president. I know what a campaign of tribulations he placed before the prime minister.”
Netanyahu’s office quickly put out a statement saying that Livnat’s remarks do not reflect the prime minister’s opinion and affirming Netanyahu’s appreciation for Obama’s commitment to Israel.
Livnat later backed down from her statement, saying that she wasn’t sure what words she had used but reiterating that the Obama administration had been “hard” on Israel. — jta