White House blasts Netanyahu for ‘bottleneck’ claim: No one’s helped him more than US

The White House further stresses its frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his video statement accusing the US of withholding weapons and ammunition shipments from Israel.

The Biden administration has several times voiced its frustration over the video, but the sides appeared to put the episode behind them yesterday, as Netanyahu’s office issued a statement saying the US had provided him assurances regarding his concerns. Meanwhile, the White House issued a fierce denial of reports that it had canceled a high-level meeting with Netanyahu’s top aides over the video and moved forward with plans to host those aides for a separate meeting with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan later today.

But asked about the video again during a phone briefing with reporters, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby reiterates that Netanyahu’s claims were “vexing and disappointing to us as much as it was incorrect.”

The US insists that it has only upheld one shipment of bombs, which it has been upfront about for over a month. Netanyahu has yet to disclose what other weapons shipments he was referring to when he blasted the “inconceivable” US “bottlenecks” in weapons transfers.

Kirby says he has no idea what prompted the premier to make the claim, “given that no other country is doing more to help Israel defend itself against the threat by Hamas and other threats that they are facing in the region.”

“This president put fighter aircrafts up in the air in the middle of April to help shoot down several hundred drones and missiles, including ballistic missiles that were fired from Iran proper at Israel,” he continues. “There’s no other country that’s done more or will continue to do more than the United States to help… Prime Minister Netanyahu.”

Kirby says the US has passed along its displeasure with Netanyahu to Israel through various channels.