Israel’s Netanyahu accuses New York Times of ‘undermining’ incoming government

Israeli Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused The New York Times of calling for undermining his prospective government, reports Anadolu Agency.

“After burying the Holocaust for years on its back pages and demonising Israel for decades on its front pages, the New York Times now shamefully calls for undermining Israel’s elected incoming government,” Netanyahu tweeted.

“While the NYT continues to delegitimise the one true democracy in the Middle East and America’s best ally in the region, I will continue to ignore its ill-founded advice and instead focus on building a stronger and more prosperous country, strengthening ties with America, expanding peace with our neighbors, and securing the future of the one and only Jewish state,” he added.

On Saturday, the US newspaper criticised Netanyahu’s upcoming government in an editorial titled, “The ideal of democracy in a Jewish State is in jeopardy.”

The newspaper particularly criticised far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is expected to be a minister of national security, warning that his actions “risk provoking a new round of Arab-Israeli violence.”

READ: Changes to security system in new gov’t ‘will be detrimental’

Ben-Gvir holds far-right views on the Palestinians. He has repeatedly joined Israeli settlers in storming the flashpoint Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem.

He had previously called for the displacement of Palestinians and caused a wave of violence in East Jerusalem after setting up an office in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood.

Last month, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a leaked audio that “the whole world is worried” about the far-right views of Ben-Gvir.

Palestinians warn that Netanyahu’s incoming government will be one of the most radical in recent Israeli history.