Deputy Transportation Minister Tzipi Hotovely (Likud) on Thurdsay responded to reports in the Wall Street Journal Wednesday night, which revealed that US President Barack Obama's administration blocked a weapons transfer to Israel.
According to the US and Israeli officials cited in the report, Obama halted a batch of Hellfire missiles that were requested in military-to-military channels as common in such transfers, and ordered future Israeli requests to be carefully scrutinized.
Lending her support to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Hotovely remarked that he "is acting correctly by not compromising on the personal security interests of the state, even if that doesn't find favor in the eyes of certain members of the American administration."
"Despite the arguments, some of which even cross the lines of professionalism, the United States and Israel have shared interests, particularly in light of the instability of the Middle East," added Hotovely.
While Hotovely spoke out in support of Netanyahu's refusal to compromise, Israel on Wednesday night agreed to a further five-day extension of the ceasefire with Hamas amid US pressure to do so, and despite the terror organization's breach of the ceasefire hours before and after the ceasefire went into effect.
Following the rocket attacks Wednesday night, Hotovely said "Israel cannot be a prisoner of Hamas. Operation Protective Edge must end with a mortal blow to Hamas’s capabilities, eliminating the leaders of Hamas and achieving deterrence."
Further doubts were raised about Netanyahu's willingness to stand firm on Israel's security interests after he met with party chair coalition members on Tuesday, in what one minister term "softening talks" to gain support for Israeli concessions.
Obama called Netanyahu shortly before the current ceasefire went into effect to push for a "sustainable" ceasefire.According to US officials cited in the Wall Street Journal report, that Wednesday night phone call was "particularly combative."