Peres slams Israelis’ ‘ingratitude’ toward Obama

Former president Shimon Peres on Thursday sharply rebuked Israeli critics of the Obama administration’s stance toward Jerusalem, and said the delivery of American F-35 fighter jets to Israel is “a wonderful and extraordinary gift” for which the US is deserving of thanks.

“Sometimes I stand amazed at the intolerance, not to speak of the unfairness toward the Obama administration that sometimes borders on ingratitude, and my heart aches,” Peres said in an interview with the Ynet website.

As a show of appreciation to the US, Peres also recorded a video message expressing his gratitude for the advanced stealth planes, the first of which are to arrive in Israel at the end of the year.

His comments came a day after the unveiling of the first F-35 jets Israel is to receive at a ceremony in the US attended by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.

President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have had a number of well-publicized spats over the years, with opposition parties claiming the prime minister has damaged US-Israeli relations.

Peres did not specify anyone in particular as having given the current US administration a hard time over its treatment of the Jewish state, but said, “From criticism nothing has developed, from good ties things develop.”

Regarding the sale of fighter jets, which are slated to arrive in Israel in December, he chided, “Sometimes we forget to say thanks but this time it mustn’t be forgotten. [The sale] is the height of friendship and of consideration for Israel’s needs, and whoever decided on it deserves thanks, and that is the US under Obama’s leadership.”

In his video, the 92-year-old Peres said, “Thank you to the United States for providing Israel with the most sophisticated and most unique air weapon that exists in the world […] unmatched in its importance to the security and the future of our country.”

Obama, he noted, has always made Israel’s defense needs a priority.

“Throughout his eight years of presidency, when it came to the security of Israel, he worked first and foremost to do whatever he could to provide us with security, with the strength to fight our enemies, but also with the strength to look for peace and friendship.”

Liberman, the defense minister, was joined at Wednesday’s ceremony by IAF Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Tal Kelman, along with Minister Tzachi Hanegbi, a delegation from the Defense Ministry, and senior officials from the US Department of Defense.

While Israel has purchased 33 of the fighter jets so far, the military has expressed interest in more than twice that number. IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot has already approved the purchase of 17 more planes for a total of 50, but Kelman and the IAF want to bring that number up to 75 in the years to come.

The F-35 comes equipped with stealth technology and operational capabilities that are far superior to those of the country’s current fleet of F-15 and F-16 jets.

The fifth-generation fighter jet is also designed to perform a variety of missions — bombing runs, close air support to protect troops on the ground, air-to-air combat and reconnaissance.

However, though the F-35 likely will be “the best jet” in the sky once it becomes fully operational, it is not yet at that stage. Though the aircraft will be delivered in December and may be used operationally as early as 2017, according to the IAF, it is only projected to become fully operational in 2021.

Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.