JERUSALEM, Israel – Democratic lawmakers’ reactions to last week’s public row between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodmyr Zelenskyy set off a firestorm of criticism, yet comparisons of how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was treated by Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama have critics calling foul.
Former Presidents Obama and Biden publicly humiliated Netanyahu, according to media reports, and the Israeli leader, in sharp contrast to Zelenskyy, did not garner the same solidarity from many European leaders and legacy media outlets.
Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs President Dan Diker told Fox News Digital, “The real question is why the international media, European powers and social networks were noticeably unsympathetic to Israel and its PM Netanyahu during the Obama and Biden administrations, dressing down and even humiliation of Netanyahu during and in between White House visits, in contrast to the immediate and widespread international sympathy for Zelenskyy following his 100 mph head on collision with and excoriation by President Trump and VP Vance?”
Dicker continued, saying, “Broadcast around the world, we remember Obama’s dumping of the Netanyahu-led delegation to the White House in 2010 and the Biden administration’s overall maximum political pressure campaigns to force Israel to yield to American demands.”
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There are striking parallels between the two countries — Ukraine and Israel — which are at war against anti-democratic regimes. Israel has been waging a multi-front existential war against Iranian regime proxies (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis and other forces) since October 2023. Russia invaded Ukraine a little more than three years ago and absorbed a chunk of the country’s territory. Ukraine is fighting for its life.
However, one key difference is the outrage over the White House spat with Zelenskyy was not mirrored in the same way in the court of public opinion after Biden and Obama launched verbal attacks, including profanity-laced tirades, against Netanyahu.
After the 2024 State of the Union speech, Biden was caught on a hot mic on the House floor, where Biden said he and Netanyahu would have a “come to Jesus” moment soon.
Biden warned Israel that invading Rafah would be crossing a “red line.” Israel defied Biden and secured the freedom of some hostages held by the Hamas terrorist organization in Rafah.
After Israel entered Rafah, Biden reportedly said of Netanyahu, “He’s a f—ing liar.”
Biden called Netanyahu “a pain in my a–” and said “he’s been killing me lately.”
According to Politico columnist Jonathan Martin, Biden termed Netanyahu a “bad f—ing guy.”
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Biden’s seemingly relentless attacks on Netanyahu continued with Israel’s self-defensive measures against the Lebanese terrorist organization Hezbollah and its chief strategic partner, the Islamic Republic of Iran. The U.S. government has designated Hezbollah a terrorist entity and classified Iran as the world’s worst state-sponsor of terrorism.
Reuters reported that “War,” a book by the journalist Bob Woodward, noted that Biden regularly accused Netanyahu of having no strategy and shouted “Bibi, what the f—-?” at him in July after Israeli strikes near Beirut and in Iran.
The Obama administration laid the foundation to delegitimize Netanyahu and create “daylight” between Israel and the United States, argued experts on U.S.-Israel relations.
Obama refused to pose with Netanyahu for photographers during the Israeli leader’s White House visit in 2010 and held a private dinner without the prime minister, which was said to have been a breach of custom.
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When asked about his alleged conflict-ridden relationship with Netanyahu, Obama said in 2010, “I think that he is dealing with a very complex situation in a very tough neighborhood. And what I have consistently shared with him is my interest in working with him — not at cross-purposes — so that we can achieve the kind of peace that will ensure Israel’s security for decades to come.
“And that’s going to mean some tough choices. And there are going to be times where he and I are having robust discussions about what kind of choices need to be made.”
The Obama administration frequently used anonymous government officials to channel Obama’s views, according to critics. In 2014, the Atlantic magazine’s Jeffery Goldberg reported that an unnamed Obama administration official termed Netanyahu “chickens—” regarding efforts to secure a peace deal with the Palestinians.
The strained relations between Obama and Netanyahu reached a head at the end of Obama’s term in December 2016. Obama’s alleged abandonment of Israel at the United Nations by allowing the United Nations Security Council to censure Israel prompted Netanyahu to term the move a “shameful ambush.”
The 2016 U.N. Security Council resolution condemned Israel for building Jewish communities in the West Bank, the historic biblical region known in Israel as Judea and Samaria.
Netanyahu’s speeches to the U.S. Congress in 2015 (to argue against Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran) and in 2024 (to defend Israel’s war against the Iran-backed Hamas) ruffled the feathers of the Obama and Biden administrations.
Eugene Kontorovich, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital, “Democrats seethed for years that Netanyahu dared have a different policy than Obama. By this standard, Zelenskyy’s open, argumentative bickering with President Trump and VP Vance at a press event should hang over the former comedian. However, President Trump has already expressed a willingness to reengage.”
Fox News’ Kristine Parks and Reuters contributed to this report.
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