Secretary of State John Kerry phoned Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday to apologize for the crude comment made by a U.S. official who called the Israeli leader "a chickens—t," The Times of Israel reports.
The pair had a "good conversation" that involved a discussion about way to improve relations between leaders in Israel and the United States,
the newspaper reports, quoting unnamed American officials.
They also discussed other topics, including ways to thwart Iran's nuclear ambitions, the newspaper reports.
The vulgar anti-Netanyahu remark dominated Israeli TV commentary, the newspaper reports, with one pundit referring to the "unprecedented loathing" between the two administrations.
The slam – made by an unnamed U.S. official – was first published Tuesday in an article in
The Atlantic that described relations between the United States and Israel as a "full-blown crisis."
On Thursday, Kerry
told an audience at the annual Washington Ideas Forum, "We condemn anybody who uses language such as was used in this article."
"It does not reflect the president, it does not reflect me, it is disgraceful, unacceptable, damaging," he said.
The White House denounced the remarks a day earlier.
"Certainly, that’s not the administration’s view, and we think such comments are inappropriate and counterproductive," National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said,
The Hill reported.
"Prime Minister Netanyahu and the president have forged an effective partnership, and consult closely and frequently, including earlier this month when the president hosted the prime minister in the Oval Office."
According to The Atlantic, officials had previously called Netanyahu "recalcitrant, myopic, reactionary, obtuse, blustering, pompous, and 'Aspergery'." The article claimed U.S. officials also have come to see the Israeli leader as acting out of a "near-pathological desire for career-preservation" rather than in Israel's best interests.
But the prime minister rejected the characterization, asserting he was "personally attacked purely because I defend Israel, and despite all the attacks against me, I will continue to defend our country; I will continue to defend the citizens of Israel," The Times of Israel reports.
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