- Benjamin Netanyahu’s new autobiography talks in detail about his relations with U.S. presidents.
- Even though President Bill Clinton openly tried to defeat Netanyahu in 1996, the Israeli leader found Clinton to be frank and charming.
- “Among the first to call and congratulate me on my election victory was President Clinton,” he wrote. “‘Bibi, I’ve got to hand it to you.’ He chuckled. ‘We did everything we could to bring you down, but you beat us fair and square.’”
- By contrast, Netanyahu had a tense relationship with President Obama, whom he regarded as being ignorant of the history of Israel and its neighbors. At one point in the Oval Office, Netanyahu said Obama insulted him and seemed to threaten him, suggesting he was a tough guy from Chicago.
- Netanyahu: “It was this sense that the elected leader of a proud four-thousand-year-old nation was being mistreated and disrespected that got me back on my feet. ‘Mr. President,’ I said slowly, ‘I’m sure that you mean what you said. But I am the prime minister of Israel and I’ll do whatever I need to do to defend my country.”