Trump Cheers Israel, Netanyahu Thanks Him

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday chided the Obama administration for its stance toward Israel, shortly before the U.S. secretary of state was set to deliver a speech regarding international opposition to Israeli settlement building.

“We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect. They used to have a great friend in the U.S., but … not anymore. The beginning of the end was the horrible Iran deal, and now this (U.N.)! Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!” he added, referring to when he takes over the White House from President Barack Obama.

Shortly after Trump’s posting, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked him.

“President-elect Trump, thank you for your warm friendship and your clear-cut support for Israel!” Netanyahu wrote.

Meanwhile, the poisonous back-and-forth between Yerushalayim and Washington persisted on Wednesday as Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan denounced the upcoming Kerry speech over Army Radio.

“This step is a pathetic step. It is an anti-democratic step because it’s clear that the administration and Kerry’s intention is to chain President-elect Trump,” Erdan said.

Erdan, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud Party and Security Cabinet, said Obama administration officials are “pro-Palestinian” and “don’t understand what’s happening in the Middle East.”

In addition, Oded Revivi, foreign envoy of the Yesha Council, said that Kerry was a “stain on American foreign policy” and “ignorant of the issues.”

He is “the worst secretary of state in history,” who “chose to stab his closest ally in the back” and knows little about the realities in Yehudah and Shomron, Revivi said.