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It's one more storm caused by Donald Trump. On Tuesday, on Twitter, the US president claimed that Jews voting for Democrats were either "ignorant" or "lacking in loyalty." Words strongly condemned by American Jewish organizations that saw in this statement a charge of double loyalty in the United States and Israel: a charge regularly taken by anti-Semites. And the remarks also embarrassed Israel, including the head of state who wanted to stand out.
With our correspondent in Jerusalem, Guilhem Delteil
The Israeli president intervenes less often than the Prime Minister in the public debate but Reuven Rivlin does not hesitate to express his positions on subjects that he considers fundamental for the country. And, even though he is a member of Likud like Benyamin Netanyahu, he regularly displays his distance from the head of the government. This is the case once again.
While the Prime Minister and the executive have remained silent after the words of Donald Trump, the head of state on Wednesday night called the president of the US House of Representatives, Democrat Nancy Pelosi. To this political opponent of Donald Trump, Reuven Rivlin assured that " the relationship between the State of Israel and the United States is a link between two peoples that is based on historical ties, deep and strong friendships and shared values that do not depend on the relationship with a particular party ".
For Israeli officials, bipartisan support for their country in the United States is a key element in securing Israel's future. So no question for the president to let Donald Trump, in search of the vote of the American Jewish community, to make his country a political stake. " Trump is a good friend of Netanyahu but less, much less Israel and Jews, " writes an editorialist of the daily Yedioth Aharonoth this morning.