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WASHINGTON (JTA) — Sen. Robert Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat who’s a stalwart of the mainstream pro-Israel foyer within the Senate, informed Benjamin Netanyahu that his partnership with an extremist chief may shatter assist for Israel in the US.
Menendez raised what he mentioned have been “considerations” about Itamar Ben-Gvir with the previous — and hopeful — Israeli prime minister throughout a go to to Israel in early September, Axios reported on Sunday. On the time, Netanyahu had simply hosted Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, one other right-wing occasion chief, at his Caesarea residence.
The go to was a part of Netanyahu’s effort to work with Ben-Gvir, an adherent of the racist beliefs of the late rabbi and politician, Meir Kahane, to unite far-right events right into a single bloc to allow them to maximize their clout in Israel’s Nov. 1 election. Ben-Gvir, who has additionally lionized Baruch Goldstein, the Jewish extremist who massacred 29 Palestinians at worship in 1994, would doubtless safe a cupboard place in a Netanyahu-led authorities.
In keeping with the Axios report, Netanyahu was peeved at Menendez’s assertion, however the senator pressed the matter additional, saying Ben-Gvir’s inclusion would severely erode bipartisan assist for Israel.
Main pro-Israel teams made an identical warning three years in the past when Netanyahu, then the prime minister, was considering an identical association. Ultimately, Netanyahu didn’t want the extremists to type a authorities.
Menendez is certainly one of Israel’s most outspoken supporters within the Senate, incomes enormous cheers when he attends pro-Israel occasions. He’s additionally influential, chairing the International Relations Committee. Earlier this 12 months he warned the Biden administration that he would oppose reentry into the Iran nuclear deal — a key Biden precedence and a transfer Israel opposes — if the phrases turned out to be as they have been reported on the time.
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