Tension between the White House and Benjamin Netanyahu escalated on Wednesday as top administration officials condemned the Israeli Prime Minister’s plan to address Congress next week and Netanyahu accused six world powers, including the US, of “giving up on their commitment” to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
The unusually public spat marked one of the lowest points in a relationship that has long bonded the two countries, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.
Although the new round of recriminations reflected the frosty personal relations between President Obama and Netanyahu, it came at a critical juncture in multilateral talks designed to prevent Iran from using a civilian programme to develop a nuclear weapon.
The Prime Minister has said the unfolding deal — to which Iran has not yet agreed — could pose an existential threat to the Jewish State.