Netanyahu reacts to Trump’s ‘fuck him’ comments over acknowledging Biden’s win: ‘It was important for me to congratulate the incoming President”

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a joint statement in the East Room of the White House on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Netanyahu defended himself after Trump lashed out at him for congratulating Biden over his 2020 win.

"Fuck him," Trump said of Netanyahu, once a close ally of his, in an interview with Axios released on Friday.

Netanyahu said that congratulating Biden was important to US-Israel relations.

Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday defended himself after former President Donald Trump attacked the former Israeli prime minister for congratulating President Joe Biden over his 2020 election victory.

"I highly appreciate President Trump's big contribution to Israel and its security. I also appreciate the importance of the strong alliance between Israel and the U.S. and therefore it was important for me to congratulate the incoming President," Netanyahu said, per Axios.

In an April interview that was first reported on Friday, Trump told Barak Ravid of Axios in that he hasn't spoken to Netanyahu since he extended congratulations to Biden back in November 2020, adding, "Fuck him."

"The first person that congratulated [Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with," Trump said. "Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake." Bibi is Netanyahu's nickname.

Trump was particularly incensed that Netanyahu congratulated Biden via video. "I liked Bibi. I still like Bibi. But I also like loyalty. The first person to congratulate Biden was Bibi. And not only did he congratulate him, he did it on tape," Trump said.

Despite what Trump said, Netanyahu was not the first world leader to congratulate Biden. A number of heads of state extended their congratulations to Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hours before Netanyahu. World leaders with anti-democratic records like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were among the most delayed in terms of congratulating Biden.

Netanyahu, who was ousted as prime minister in June shortly after the worst fighting between Israel and Hamas in years, was among Trump's top allies on the global stage during his presidency.

Trump as president went against decades of US policy to take a number of controversial steps that were in line with Netanyahu's agenda and boosted his profile in Israel. This included withdrawing the US from the Iran nuclear deal, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, and recognizing Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights.

The Trump administration in early 2020 also unveiled a "peace plan" for the Middle East that did not involve any discussions with Palestinian leaders. Critics said the plan amounted to little more than a PR stunt for Netanyahu ahead of an election. Trump's administration also played a key role in brokering the Abraham Accords, which saw several Arab countries formalize diplomatic relations with Israel.

After he was pushed out, experts said that Netanyahu would look to Trump as a means of returning to power. Trump gained popularity in Israel via his policies. But the former president, who remains fixated on the 2020 election, is seemingly disinterested in helping Netanyahu.

More than a year since Election Day, Trump has still not acknowledged that he was fairly defeated by Biden. His lies about the 2020 election, including that it was "stolen" from him, fostered a deadly insurrection at the US Capitol in January.

Trump in his post-presidency has continued to push blatant falsehoods about the election. Meanwhile, he's lashed out at people once counted among his closest allies for perceived disloyalty.