During his recent visit to the U.S., Benjamin Netanyahu announced that President Donald Trump is receiving the Israel Prize, his nation's highest cultural honor that, until now, has never been awarded to a non-Israeli.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the decision reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the political spectrum who appreciate what President Trump has done to help Israel and support the shared fight against "terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization."
"It’s going to be awarded to President Donald J. Trump for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people," Netanyahu told reporters at Mar-a-Lago late last month, calling it "such a fitting thing."
Gary Bauer, chairman of the Campaign for Working Families, says this should set the record straight.
"For months, the American media has been once again taking a complete lie, repeating it over and over again until they convinced the American people it's true," he observes. "That lie was that there was real tension between President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu."
"Of course they're going to have disagreements; they're leaders of two different countries," Bauer adds. "But on the big things, they're together."
In October, Netanyahu called Trump the "greatest friend" Israel has ever had after Hamas released the final 20 living hostages under a peace deal brokered by Trump and his administration.
"No American president has ever done more for Israel," the prime minister said at the time. "It ain’t even close."
He credited Trump for standing up for Israel at the United Nations, recognizing Israel's rights in the West Bank, and withdrawing from what he described as the "disastrous" Iran nuclear deal.
Bauer believes both leaders understand that their countries are the pillars of Judeo-Christian civilization.
"I think Bibi did a great thing," he submits. "I think that his awarding President Trump this on this trip was the prime minister's way of not only honoring the president, but also poking his finger in the eyes of reporters that want to divide Israel and the United States at this dangerous time in the world."
