Gaza Flotilla: Haaretz's Gideon Levy "Netanyahu Was Right"

Haaretz's Gideon Levy, a critic of the Israeli Government, bows down to the wisdom of Benjamin Netanyahu. Levy said that all the prophecies of the Israeli Prime Minister on West Jerusalem's crisis of security are coming true, thanks to the efforts of his government against "the existential threat of the Freedom Flotilla::

The time has come to take off our hats to the prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu's predictions have proved accurate, and his prophecies are coming true right before our eyes. Now we can proudly declare that our government is led by a man of vision, a statesman who has foretold the future. Even his greatest critics can't deny it; the facts speak for themselves.

Netanyahu said the whole world is against us. Wasn't he right? He also said we live under an existential threat. Isn't it beginning to look like that? Give it another minute and Turkey will be at war with us too. Netanyahu said there's no chance of reaching an agreement with the Arabs. Wasn't that spot on? Our prime minister, who saw danger lurking in every alleyway and enemies waiting around every corner, who has always taught that there is no hope, who has drummed into us that we shall forever live by the sword (just as his father the historian taught him ), knew what he was talking about.


We haven't had anyone like him since David Ben-Gurion. He's a genuine prophet whose every prediction comes true, one after the other - someone who can really be proud of his accomplishments. Enough mockery, enough ridicule. For Netanyahu is not only a prophet; his leadership has swept up the entire country. There is no longer anyone who can stop him from realizing his vision, and soon the pundits will be writing that Netanyahu was right.

This country now has a blind captain in the cockpit, flying his blindfolded passengers with exemplary precision toward the destination he envisioned. If there had still been any object of his scaremongering that had not yet been attained before this week, along came the outrageous seizure of the flotilla, and that goal too was in the bag.

If anyone was still entertaining a glimmer of hope that our pilot wasn't totally blind, that he had some special sight-enhancing gadget, along came his declaration that the blockade of Gaza would continue. Let the world and wisdom and Gaza all go to hell, and incidentally Israel too - and dash that glimmer of hope as well. After the saws and knives seized on the Marmara have been publicly exhibited, we will be able to convince ourselves once and for all that there is indeed a danger lurking in every alley, an Al-Qaida operative on every ship, weapons on every deck - and even that the Marmara was an existential threat, no less, just as our leader had foreseen.

Of course, no one will demand to see the guns that the activists are alleged to have fired, or the video footage in which Israeli soldiers are seen firing, or the confiscated photographs taken by journalists. For us, the pictures of the severe beatings that the IDF Spokesman's Office has released are enough.

Some 7 billion human beings (less about 5 million Israeli Jews ) are wrong. They haven't got a leader like Netanyahu, and that's why they go on thinking that seizing passenger ships in international waters is an act of piracy, no different from the deeds committed by the pirates of Somalia. They think (wrongly of course ) that Israel has no right to stop a fleet of boats; that the victims are the people of Gaza and the bleeding passengers, not the naval commandos who raided the ship and were beaten; and that the aggressors were the troops who were dropped onto the ship from a helicopter, killing nine civilians with live fire and wounding dozens.

The world is wrong and Netanyahu, with us in tow, is right. We will not lift the blockade. For four years it has yielded not an ounce of benefit, just damage, but what does that matter? Giddyup! Let's fulfill Netanyahu's vision. We'll become an even more despised country and won't have a single friend left in the world, not even the United States. True, it was Netanyahu's predecessor, Ehud Olmert, who began this terrible landslide with Operation Cast Lead, after which the world became intolerant of all violent behavior by Israel, but Netanyahu is following in his path.

Despite it all, his vision has not yet been realized in full. He gave rise to one hope: an "economic peace" that would bring prosperity to Palestinians and Israelis. But as yet there has been no greater saboteur of Israeli exports than Netanyahu, and soon everything produced here will have to be sold no further afield than Petah Tikva. Even prophets are entitled to err on occasion, but he had better not give rise to any more hopes.

About half of Israelis want a commission of inquiry, according to a poll published yesterday. It can be assumed that this is only because our soldiers were beaten and humiliated. Why, what else is there to investigate? After all, we have a prophet-statesman whose predictions are coming true, one after the other, and the redeemer is (not ) coming to Zion.

The Latest from Iran (3 June): Karroubi Video Message

2210 GMT: Made-Up Story of the Day? We close with a supposed "exclusive" (exclusive because no one else is reporting it) from Fars News. The website claims that Mehdi Karroubi was driven from the shrine of Ayatollah Khomeini today by a crowd shouting, "Death to the Hypocrite".

Fars' visual support for the story? A picture of Karroubi from last year's Tehran Book Fair.

2115 GMT: Karroubi Watch. Mehdi Karroubi has released a lengthy video message. We've posted the first of six parts below. You can also link to Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6.

We are looking urgently for an English translation.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEn4cHR10rM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

NEW Iran Document: Majid Tavakoli “The Will of My Nation Led to Victory”
Iran Document: Mousavi “Imam Khomeini, Revolution, and the Green Movement” (2 June)
Latest Iran Video: Ahmadinejad in Ilam “Where’s My Crowd?”
The Latest from Iran (2 June): Where’s My Crowd?

1800 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi says that, following the Supreme Leader's pardon of 81 detainees, a number of prisoners have been released. Still no names of those freed.


1650 GMT: Propaganda Corner. The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran claims that Fars News has published a fabricated letter of resignation by Morteza Semyari, the secretary of the Cultural Commission of the student organisation Daftar-Tahkim-Vahdat.

1645 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. The sentence of 3 1/2 years in prison and lashes for journalist and filmmaker Mohammad Nourizad was confirmed earlier this week. The response of Nourizad, who has been imprisoned in part because of letters to the Supreme Leader?

He has written another letter to Ayatollah Khamenei before the Supreme Leader leads Tehran Friday Prayers this week: “The damage and harm that we (the religious government of Iran) have caused Islam and religious beliefs of the people is beyond the damage and harm throughout history."

1520 GMT: Reports are coming in that Mir Hossein Mousavi and Zahra Rahnavard met representatives of Iranian women's organisations today.

1515 GMT: Rafsanjani Watch. An admission.... As I tried to read the various political contender set up position for the anniversary of Ayatollah Khomeini's death --- with both the Supreme Leader and Mir Hossein Mousavi "claiming" Khomeini --- I read summaries of a statement by former President Hashemi Rafsanjani but did not post them.

I did not post the original from the Iranian Labor News Agency or the abridgements from outlets like Radio Zamaneh because the language seemed, well vague: "Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, head of Iran’s Assembly of Experts urged those faithful to the Islamic Revolution and Ayatollah Khomeini not to let “the Revolution to fall in the hands of strangers.” Rafsanjani called on the public not to let the Islamic Revolution to be derailed from its “original and true” path because, once deviations in the Islamic Republic occur, “it will be very difficult or impossible to overcome them”.

So has Rafsanjani issued a veiled warning to the Government, cautioned the opposition not to be too strident, or taken a seat on a tall fence? Answers on a postcard or in our comments section....

0900 GMT: Film Corner. Jafar Panahi, the acclaimed film director released last week after more than three months in prison, has said, "Sometimes I feel that the mere thought of writing a film can be a crime here, just the idea that to do so may be penalized. It may even be enough to go to jail....Now I have to make films in my dreams, sometimes in my head."

0855 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. RAHANA claims several students and activists were released last evening.

Khabar Online reports that Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari Doulatabadi is meeting families of detainees on a weekly basis, apparently in an effort to get prisoners to repent.

Kodoom updates on detained teachers.

0835 GMT: Economic Battles. Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani has criticised President Ahmadinejad for not implementating the law on privatisation correctly.

The Supreme Audit Court has presented examples of deviations in oil revenues, with $1 billion missing in 2007.

0830 GMT: A Green IRIB? The pro-Government Raja News, in a surprising admission and/or an attack on possible subversives within Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, declares that Mir Hossein Mousavi was favoured over President Ahmadinejad by employees of IRIB by a 7:1 margin.

0820 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Rooz Online reports on detained activists in Iranian Azerbaijan.

0810 GMT: Home Box Office in the US has released a new documentary on the death of Neda Agha-Soltan, "For Neda".

(Documentaries from November 2009 by the BBC and by the US Public Broadcasting Service are available elsewhere on EA.)

0700 GMT: The Supreme Leader''s Latest Move. Dave Siav0shi at Iran News Now posts a sharp assessment of yesterday's announcement of pre-election pardons, "The Shrewd Calculus Behind Khamenei’s Release of 81 Political Prisoners".

The names of those pardoned are still unknown.

0635 GMT: We have finally tracked down an English translation of Sunday's letter from detained student activist Majid Tavakoli, "The Will of My Nation Led to Victory", and posted it in a separate entry.

0610 GMT: Political Prisoner Watch. Kamran Asa, the brother of the slain protester Kianoush Asa, has been re-arrested.

Kamran Asa was first jailed on 16 December and detained for two months.

0550 GMT: One more day before the pace of the politics --- and, possibly, the public contest over the Government and the regime --- quickens.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the death in 1989 of Ayatollah Khomeini and all sides are staking out their positions. Both the Supreme Leader and the President appear at Friday Prayers, and Mir Hossein Mousavi has released his statement --- posted in a separate entry --- to claim the legacy of Khomeini and Revolution for the opposition.

And where there is political manoeuvring, there are also the steps to limit debate. Rooz Online has a summary of "the third round of mass arrest of journalists and political activists". It notes the detentions of journalists Azam Veisameh and Mahboubeh Khansari and claims that security agents failed in their attempt to arrest several reformist activists and one political prisoner’s wife.

The pro-Government Raja News has claimed that Veisameh and Khansari “communicated with foreign media” and discussed “information about certain issues”.

Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (3 June): Pressure on Israel Grows

2105 GMT: Details have been released about Furkan Dogan, the Turkish-American killed in the Israeli attack.

Dogan, 19, was born in Troy, New York, but his family moved to Turkey when he was 2. He was a high school student at Kayseri in the centre of the country.

Dogan was shot five times at close range --- four bullets in the head and one in the chest.

NEW Turkey Inside Line: Parliament, President, and People Condemn Israel
NEW Gaza Flotilla Analysis: US Official Position “My Israel, Right or Wrong” (Yenidunya)
NEW Gaza Flotilla Video: Netanyahu’s Speech “Iran’s Master Plan and the Hate Boat” (2 June)
NEW Gaza Flotilla Video: Member of Israel Parliament Accused of Supporting “Terrorists”
Gaza Flotilla: A Legal Opinion “The Occupying Power Had to Facilitate the Passage”
Gaza Flotilla Video & Transcript: Hillary Clinton’s Statement (1 June)
Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog: Limiting an Enquiry, Maintaining a Blockade? (2 June)

1805 GMT: More Testimony. Briton Sarah Colborne, the director of campaigns and operations at the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, has given an account of the attack on the Mavi Marmara that complements the testimony of other passengers (see 1435 GMT).


Colborne, like others, said Israeli firing began before commandos boarded the ship: "There was live ammunition flying around and I could hear the sounds of the bullets flying and the whirr of the helicopter blades as people were dropped down onto the roof. What I saw was guns being used by the Israelis on unarmed civilians. I saw a bullet wound in someone's head. It was very clear it was live ammunition." She also said that the Israelis ignored white flags, calls for surrenders, and pleas to treat the critically injured.

1750 GMT: We've published a special feature on the changing Turkish position on Israel in the aftermath of the attack on the Freedom Flotilla.

1745 GMT: Netanyahu Compromising? Despite his most uncompromising speech yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering a modified policy on the blockade of Gaza, according to Aluf Benn of Ha'aretz:

Netanyahu is willing to consider easing the naval blockade on the Gaza Strip, as well as possible creative solutions for monitoring the goods that are allowed to enter the Hamas-ruled territory. According to Netanyahu, the siege should focus on preventing the smuggling of rockets and weapons in order to avoid what he termed an "Iranian port in Gaza" in a speech he gave in Canada on Monday.

1525 GMT: The US Position. We've published an analysis by Ali Yenidunya of Washington's political manoeuvres, "My Israel, Right or Wrong".

Meanwhile, in the Cover Your Back Department, The Washington Post reports:

The Obama administration said Wednesday that it had warned Israel's government repeatedly to use "caution and restraint" with half a dozen aid boats bound for the Gaza Strip before Israeli commandos raided the flotilla this week in an operation that killed nine people.

"We communicated with Israel through multiple channels many times regarding the flotilla," P.J. Crowley, a State Department spokesman, said...."We emphasized caution and restraint given the anticipated presence of civilians, including American citizens."

1445 GMT: Max Blumenthal reveals how Israel Defense Forces, when pressed for evidence, retracted a headline linking Flotilla passengers to Al Qa'eda.

Deputy Foreign Danny Ayalon had made the claim of a link in his press conference on Tuesday, the day after the Israeli attack.

1435 GMT: More Testimonies. Hassan Ghani of Iran's Press TV, who was on board the Mavi Marmara when it was attacked, has given his account of the assault and his detention in Israel.

Canadian Farooq Burney, who runs a Qatari educational initiative, says an elderly man was shot and bled to death. He claimed Israeli commandos waited more than an hour before treating the wounded, even though activists made a makeshift sign reading: "S.O.S. .. Please provide medical assistance".

Burney also claimed activists who snatched pistols from the commandos removed the cartridges and threw them away, contradicting Israeli assertions that passengers used weapons.

1100 GMT: Edward Peck, a former US Ambassador who was on the Freedom Flotilla, in a wide-ranging, provocative interview on Democracy Now!:

Gaza does not belong to Israel. It is illegally occupied by international law, so you can’t really stop ships from going there. Well, you can, and they did, but if people try to resist what you’re trying to do, you cannot really accuse them of attacking your heavily armed soldiers. And they [the commandos] were heavily armed. On our little boat, a couple of them had paint guns attached to their submachine guns, along with stun grenades and the pepper spray and the handcuffs and the pistols....

I was expelled from Israel]. I was deported for having violated Israeli law. And I said to the gentleman, "What law have I violated?" He said, "You have illegally entered Israel." I said, "Well, now, wait. Our ship was taken over by armed commandos. I was brought here at gunpoint against my will, and you call that illegally entering Israel? You and I went to different law schools, guy." It’s kind of a --- it’s a fiasco. It would be amusing if it weren’t so damned sad, because, unfortunately --- and I speak with total sincerity here --- I think Israel has done itself some serious damage. And in addition to just what they did, it was the way they did it and the way they’re presenting it. Nobody regrets what happened on the Israeli side, because those were all terrorists, you know, violating our laws. Guys, get a grip. This isn’t going to work.

1040 GMT: When Did the Israelis Shoot? Al Jazeera's Jamal Elshayyal, who was reporting from the Mavi Marmara, the lead ship of the Flotilla, said he witnessed some of the killings and at least "one person was shot through the top of the head from [the helicopter] above".

Significantly, Elshayyal says the Israelis fired first and before any commandos boarded: within a few minutes of seeing the Israeli helicopters, shots were fired from above and from Israeli boat at seas: "The first shots were tear gas, sound grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets. Live shots came five minutes after that. There was definitely live fire from the air and from the sea as well."

He confirmed that some passengers took apart some of the ship's railing bars to defend themselves as they saw the Israeli soldiers approaching. He added, however, "After the shooting and the first deaths, people put up white flags and signs in English and Hebrew. An Israeli [on the ship] asked the soldiers to take away the injured, but they did not and the injured died on the ship."

1030 GMT:  Eight of the nine slain passengers were Turkish. Four names have been released: İbrahim Bilgen, Ali Haydar Bengi, Ali Ekber Yaratılmış, and Muharrem Koçak. Funerals are being held in Turkey today.

The ninth fatality was an American of Turkish origin.

0745 GMT: The flurry of political statements around Monday's attack on the Freedom Flotilla and the Israeli blockade of Gaza continues.

We've posted a video of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's defence of the assault, based on a link between the Flotilla and alleged Iranian schemes, including a plan for a militarised port in Gaza.

Within Israel, however, there has been dissent over the military operation. We have posted video of the clash in the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, between Haneen Zoabi, who was on board the Flotilla, and legislators who claimed she supported "terrorists".

And on the international front, the Israeli Government is facing more pressure, even from allies. The British Government's denunciations of the attack and call for an alternative to the blockade--- noted in our updates yesterday --- have been followed this morning by American signals. Using Ethan Bronner of The New York Times, US officials put out the message:

The Obama administration considers Israel’s blockade of Gaza to be untenable and plans to press for another approach to ensure Israel’s security while allowing more supplies into the impoverished Palestinian area....The officials say that Israel’s deadly attack on a flotilla trying to break the siege and the resulting international condemnation create a new opportunity to push for increased engagement with the Palestinian Authority and a less harsh policy toward Gaza.

The Jerusalem Post adds that Washington has suggested that Israel establish an inquiry team led by an internationally-recognized judge and including an American representative.

Janine Zacharia of The Washington Post, in a sharp break from US coverage which has often featured defences by Israeli officials, takes readers inside Gaza:

The ill-fated aid flotilla bound for Gaza this week bore food, medicine and toys.

What it didn't have on board were the things that Gazans say they need most: jobs, reliable electricity and a ticket out.

It has been five years since Israel pulled its soldiers and settlers from the coastal strip, and largely closed Gaza off from the world. Israel's critics say what's left is a devastated land in need of emergency assistance. Israeli officials insist Gaza's people are getting what they need to live. Neither narrative reflects the complex and dysfunctional way of life that has emerged here.

UPDATED Turkey Inside Line: Parliament, President, and People Condemn Israel

UPDATE 1755 GMT: Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan joins in: "Erdogan has told U.S. President Barack Obama that Israel is on the verge of losing its best friend in the Middle East due to its deadly raid on a humanitarian aid headed to the Gaza Strip earlier this week, according to a statement from Erdogan's office."

UPDATE 1635 GMT: Turkish President Abdullah Gul has said in a televised speech, "From now on, Turkish-Israeli ties will never be the same. This incident has left an irreparable and deep scar....[The raid] is not an issue that can be forgotten...or be covered up....Turkey will never forgive this attack."

Gul spoke as thousands gathered in the streets of Istanbul to pay their respects to the eight Turks and one Turkish-American killed in the Israeli assault.

Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (3 June): Pressure on Israel Grows

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), released a joint declaration on Wednesday condemning Israel and calling on the government to reconsider its relations with West Jerusalem:

TBMM condemns fiercely and vehemently Israeli Defense Forces’ inhumane assault, on 31 May 2010, on the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid with citizens of 32 nations many of whom were Turkish; which led to the death and wounding of many innocent people. It offers its condolences to relatives of the ones who lost their lives and quick recovery wishes to the wounded people.

This attack is an explicit violation of international law.

TBMM expects UNSC to accept a resolution condemning Israel and considering sanctions against it. An independent international investigation committee should be formed in order to ascertain the full dimensions of this reprehensible attack.

Israeli government should officially apologize, make sure that the ones who are responsible are judged and pay compensation to the victims of this attack.

Turkey should apply to national and international judicial remedies. TBMM expects from the Turkish government to reconsider our political, military and economic relations with Israel and to take the necessary measures.

TBMM welcomes the righteous reactions of our people with respect against this attack.

TBMM believes that these reactions will not turn into a violence that can hurt our Jewish citizens.

TBMM, as always, is in solidarity with the Palestinian people and expects the inhumane blockade against Gaza to be lifted.

Gaza Flotilla Analysis: US Official Position "My Israel, Right or Wrong" (Yenidunya)

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that "the situation in Gaza is unsustainable and unacceptable". However, when she turned from the "humanitarian side" of the issue, she emphasised: "Israel’s legitimate security needs must be met."

Translated: We are sorry for some Gazans who are suffering from the blockade but Israel needs to continue its struggle against Hamas and we do support this cause.

Gaza Flotilla LiveBlog (3 June): Pressure on Israel Grows

(Clinton also did not emphasize the need of an international investigation. On Tuesday, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., Michael Oren, was offered an investigation led by an "international" judge as a chair with a US representative as an observer. West Jerusalem has not responded.)


On Wednesday, Vice President Joe Biden, appearing on the US Public Broadcasting Service, put all the blame on Hamas and said, "I think Israel has an absolute right to deal with its security interest". As for the enquiry, he opened the door for West Jerusalem, "Well, an investigation run by the Israelis, but we're open to international participation..."

Here is a part of the transcript of Biden's interview:

Charlie Rose: Prime Minister Netanyahu was scheduled to come to Washington. He did not. He went back to Israel. There is a blockade. Should they end the blockade in lieu of what's happened here?

Joe Biden: I think Israel has an absolute right to deal with its security interest. I put all this back on two things: one, Hamas, and, two, Israel's need to be more generous relative to the Palestinian people who are in trouble in Gaza. Let me explain that very briefly. Sometimes, because we deal so much at least which you know so much about, we have to remember how we got here. Remember, it was Ehud Barak who decided to pull all Iraqi troops --- I mean, excuse me, all Iraqi --- all Israeli troops out of Gaza. He did that back in '06.

Then there was an election, an election for their Parliament with a president named Mahmoud Abbas who in fact was the successor of [Yasser] Arafat in the Fatah [Party]. That produced a majority of members of the Parliament, which was the West Bank and Gaza, of Hamas.

The international community, the so-called Quartet; the United States, Europe, Russia, and the U.N., said, "Look, in order for you to be part of that government, you have to agree to four conditions. One, you'll abide by previous agreements that have been made by the government of --- by the Palestinians. Two, you are going to renounce terror. Three, you're going to recognize Israel, and basically that you have to accept” --- and here's what happened. They then got in a fight among themselves. They physically took over by force of arms, killed members of the existing government, exile them, took over and started firing rockets into Israel. Over 3,000 went in last year.

And as we put pressure, and the world put pressure on Israel to let material go into Gaza to help those people who are suffering, the ordinary Palestinians there, what happened? Hamas would confiscate it, put it in a warehouse, sell it, they were -- so the problem is this would end tomorrow if Hamas agreed to form a government with the Palestinian Authority on the conditions the international community has set up.

And so I mean again, look, you can argue whether Israel should have dropped people onto that ship or not and the -- but the truth of the matter is, Israel has a right to know --- they're at war with Hamas --- has a right to know whether or not arms are being smuggled in. And up to now,

Charlie, what's happened? They've said, "Here you go. You're in the Mediterranean. This ship --- if you divert slightly north you can unload it and we'll get the stuff into Gaza." So what's the big deal here? What's the big deal of insisting it go straight to Gaza? Well, it's legitimate for Israel to say, "I don't know what's on that ship. These guys are dropping eight --- 3,000 rockets on my people." Now, the one thing we have to do is not forget the plight of these Palestinians there, not Hamas, the --- they're in bad shape. So we have put as much pressure and as much cajoling on Israel as we can to allow them to get building materials in, glass....

Charlie Rose: That's what they're trying to bring in, building materials.

Joe Biden: Yes, we know that, but they could have easily brought it in here and we'd get it through. And so now the question is what do we do? Well, we had made it clear, the President of the United States has spoken three times, yesterday with Bibi, or the day before yesterday, he's spoken once yesterday with a guy that I have spent a fair amount of time with, with Prime Minister Erdogan in Turkey; the Turks, we passed a resolution in the U.N. saying we need a transparent and open investigation of what happened. It looks like things are ---

Charlie Rose: International investigation ---

Joe Biden: Well, an investigation run by the Israelis, but we're open to international participation, just like the investigation run on the sunken sub in -- off the coast of Korea. That was run by South Korea, but the international community joined in that investigation. And so that is very possible here as well. I might add by the way for all those who say the Israelis, you know, you know, you can't trust them, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled today that every one of the people on those ships had to be released immediately, immediately.

Charlie Rose: So what's the ---

Joe Biden: It's a rule of law. It works.

Charlie Rose: I said it was my last question, so I'll make it my last question then. So are you saying that the relationship between Israel and the United States is okay, that there are ---

Joe Biden: It's more than okay. Look, we always have had disagreements tactically with the Israeli government, but when I was in Israel, Bibi Netanyahu and I held a press conference before all the flap about a new settlement, etc, and ---

Charlie Rose: Right, yeah, yeah. Exactly, oh, the President got very upset about that because of what he did while you were in the country. I mean, that was the ---

Joe Biden: That's true but here's the point. We stood there at that press conference I'm making a major speech at the University of Tel Aviv, major meaning laying out U.S. policy, and Bibi pointed out that no administration in history has been as up-front and supportive of Israel's security as this administration. We've done everything from provide missile defense. We've made sure they've maintained their qualitative edge. There's a new program they call Iron Dome that we're helping fund for them to be able to protect themselves. We have joint maneuvers. They've never been closer on the strategic side with Israel than today.