Israeli envoy to US called back home over 'blood libel' jab at Netanyahu's rivals
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has announced that Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States, will be called in for a formal hearing after making stern political comments during an interview. He criticised opponents of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the interview with PragerU, which sparked backlash.Leiter gave an interview to the conservative media outlet, where he accused the "extreme left and the media" of working together to bring down Netanyahu.advertisement"It's legitimate to oppose a government. I've opposed governments in my political career, and that's fine. But don't cross the border, don't cross the line. Don't level blood libels at your own prime minister," Leiter said in the interview.
He defended Netanyahu against accusations that the prime minister is prolonging the war in Gaza for political gain."I've known the prime minister for 40 years. He's a sensitive man who cares about people. Prolong a war? What kind of insanity is that? How dare they say something as malicious as that? He wants the war to end, but in victory because he carries the weight of the Jewish people on his shoulders," he added.Following the backlash, the Foreign Ministry said that Leiter would be summoned for a hearing under the Civil Service Commission. Eden Bar Tal, the ministry's Director General, will lead the enquiry.ENVOY'S PAST CONTROVERSIAL REMARKSadvertisementLeiter has been criticised for his public comments before. Earlier this year, he accused Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of breaking the peace deal between the US and Israel. He also alleged that he was making money off of Palestinians trying to leave Gaza.During the Prager U interview, Leiter also talked about Netanyahu's corruption trials. He claimed that the prime minister was going to court over the submarine deal while getting ready for military action in Lebanon. However, Netanyahu is not on trial for that case, but some of his close aides have been charged.Polls show that a lot of Israelis are starting to doubt Netanyahu's motives. A recent poll by Channel 12 found that 55% of Israelis think Netanyahu's main goal is to stay in power, not to end the conflict or bring hostages home.Leiter, who became ambassador in early 2024, is known for being very pro-settlement. He was one of the first people to live in the Admot Yishai neighborhood in Hebron, and he has long supported efforts to settle in the West Bank. He used to be an aide to Netanyahu when he was finance minister. In 2009, he ran for a seat in the Knesset as a Likud candidate but lost.
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