Smotrich slams US 'hypocrisy'; reminds ally of Iraq, Afghanistan war

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
28 Aug 2023 15:22
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The Finance Minister says that the United States is not allowed to lecture the occupation entity given its history in Iraq and Afghanistan.

US Preisdent Joe Biden then Vice President to Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a press conference in Al-Quds, occupied Palestine in March 2016 (AFP)

Israeli occupation Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich lashed out at Washington's criticism of the entity's political and military practices, describing US remarks against "Tel Aviv" as "hypocritical" given America's history in Afghanistan and Iraq.

During an interview with the Israeli Army radio, Smotrich slammed US lectures to the entity regarding its "human rights," conducts.

"I'm not even talking about the Americans and how they acted in Afghanistan and Iraq. They won't preach to us about human rights, not to the IDF, and not to us on a government level. That is top-level hypocrisy," he said.

Relations between the United States and its close ally have hit historical lows in recent months after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was elected to lead the government.

Division emerged in the psat few years between President Joe Biden's administration and "Israel," especially regarding the approach on Iran and the nuclear deal.

But the recent judicial overhaul launched by Netanyahu and his government's policies in the occupied West Bank has unleashed full resentment between the two parties, the highlight of which Biden's refusal to meet with the Israeli premier and the implicit White House ban imposed on Smotrich and Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from visiting the United States.

While Netanyahu and Biden held a phonecall last month, where it was reported that the American president urged his ally to stop the judicial reforms process after the former announced that he is putting the legislation back on track, the relation remained tense indicating a deeper drift than anticipated earlier.