Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz on Friday accused Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu of harming Israel’s relationship with the United States, citing the fact that President Joe Biden has yet to call Netanyahu since taking office.
"It is very strange and concerning that the President of the United States has not yet spoken to the Prime Minister. I think it is a direct result of walking in one direction. We are now seeing the product of Israel's quarrels with the United States," Gantz said in an interview on Kan 11 News.
On Thursday, former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said that there is no crisis between the US and Israel, explaining that the reason for Biden not having yet called Netanyahu is the President’s focus on key issues over which he was elected.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Friday insisted that Biden is not deliberately ignoring Netanyahu and would speak to him “soon”, though she added she does not have a timeline for when the conversation would take place.
In Friday’s interview, Gantz also commented on the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and the clashes in the government, clarifying that he intends to fight for the publication of the minutes of the cabinet meetings.
“The story of [Netanyahu] blaming me for the loss of human life is a scandal, I will never forgive [him for] it. I am ready for a polygraph test tomorrow morning regarding the leaks from the cabinet," he said.
Gantz accused Netanyahu of dragging his feet in reopening businesses and said that "as far as Netanyahu is concerned, let there be a lockdown until two weeks before the election" despite the declining case numbers.
The Defense Minister spoke about the Iranian nuclear program and commented on Netanyahu’s appointment of the chairman of the National Security Council, Meir Ben-Shabbat, as a project manager on the Iranian issue.
"We are not in a presidential regime. Netanyahu cannot run the country as if it were his private business. I will deal with defense-related issues, I will make sure that the system is involved and I will contribute to the success of Meir Ben-Shabbat," Gantz clarified.
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)