MSNBC host Chris Matthews blasted President Donald Trump for playing the “political sidekick” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In recent weeks, the Trump administration has recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights and declared Iran’s Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. President Trump also welcomed Netanyahu to the White House in late March.
Matthews accused the president of breaking tradition with his predecessors by staying out of Israeli politics, but as Newsbusters pointed out, he overlooked the Obama State Department’s financial contribution of taxpayer money to OneVoice, an Israeli political group and opponent of Netanyahu.
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In this Monday, March 25, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump welcomes visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House in Washington. In a tight race for re-election, Israel’s prime minister has gotten a welcome lift from his friend in the White House. In the run-up to the April 9 vote, Netanyahu has hosted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, visited Trump in the White House and received American recognition of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which Israel seized from Syria during the 1967 Mideast war. (AP)
“American presidents from both of our parties have abstained from getting involved in Israeli politics, opting instead of playing two roles; friend of Israel but also a regional honest broker. But not this time,” Matthews told his audience. “President Trump broke with his predecessors, taking a number of steps to help insure that his friend Bibi Netanyahu was victorious today.”
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The “Hardball” host continued, ”Always, our president from Eisenhower — from all the way up to W, although some lean towards Israel, some leaned against them a little bit... they’ve always played this other role as honest broker in the region so they can bring peace and play a bigger global role than just being buddies with Israel. This President has ignored his global role, ignored the role — forfeited that of peacemaker or honest broker and just played political sidekick of Bibi.”
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Local Israeli reports have suggested that after a very tight race, Netanyahu will hold onto his office and form a fifth government.
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