Former US ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk slammed Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu as a threat to the country and called for his resignation on Sunday before he does even more damage to Israel.
Indyk was tasked to forge an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal during his roughly year-long tenure as President Barack Obama's special Mideast envoy in 2013 and 2014.
Indyk Slams Netanyahu
Indyk wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday that Netanyahu's determination to stay in power no matter the cost was a clear and present danger to Israel, who needed to resign immediately.
His comments came after a New York Times report that Netanyahu was not only aware that Qatar was shuttling millions of dollars a month to Gaza that helped the Hamas government but that he also encouraged the payments.
The report said that Netanyahu and other Israeli officials allowed the money to flow into Gaza to help maintain peace and stability in the region and in the belief that Hamas had no intention nor the capacity to launch an extensive attack. Furthermore, the Israeli officials had the blueprints of Hamas' plans for more than a year before the October 7 attack but chose to regard an actual attack as unlikely.
The US has vowed to stand with Israel and recently vetoed a ceasefire resolution in the UN Security Council, which was a measure that had support from almost all other Security Council countries. However, other US officials have also called on Israeli leaders to take the initiative to avoid civilian casualties.
Furthermore, the war challenges President Joe Biden as he attempts to balance support for America's chief ally in the Middle East. On the other hand, he also supports the calls for a ceasefire as the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to rise.
Indyk's comments have encouraged Israel to end its violent campaign in Gaza. He also warned that Netanyahu was causing a rift with Biden, whom he described as Israel's only ally in this crisis.
Netanyahu Speak Out
Netanyahu said before boarding an El Al flight to America that the Israelis who were plotting to protest against him in California and the United Nations General Assembly were backing up the PLO and Iran.
His office released a statement to clarify that Netanyahu will represent the State of Israel in the UN, and the Israeli citizens will protest alongside PLO and BDS supporters.
Israel's politicians responded to Netanyahu's statement, claiming whether Israelis protesting against Netanyahu in the US were enemies of the state or patriots abroad.
Indyk said that the protestors did not call Arafat a friend and partner. He claimed that Arafat did not provide funds to Hamas and tried to crush Israel.
Other opposition MKs have shared similar sentiments, saying the protesters were patriots, not enemies. National Unity leader Benny Gantz, who had earlier wished Netanyahu luck on his trip and expressed support from the opposition towards the nation's security and strategic interests, has also strongly condemned Netanyahu's comment.
