(The Hill) Secretary of State John Kerry called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday morning to protest insults the Israeli defense minister directed at the Obama administration this week, the State Department said.
According to reporters for Israeli media outlets, Ya'alon phoned Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel Wednesday evening to apologize. A U.S. defense official confirmed the call to The Hill.
In a speech at Tel Aviv University on Monday, Ya'alon criticized President Obama for having a weak foreign policy, and said Israel could no longer rely on the United States to lead nuclear negotiations with Iran.
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"Secretary Kerry spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu this morning. And he protested to him his concerns about these comments," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters Wednesday.
