US President Joe Biden has called Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "bad f*****g guy" in private conversations, a column on the Politico news site claimed on Sunday.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates denied that Biden had referred to Netanyahu in such a way, saying "the president did not say that, nor would he," and stressing that the two leaders have "a decades-long relationship that is respectful in public and in private.”
Biden and Bibi's tense relationship
Biden and Netanyahu have had a tense relationship in the past year, amid disagreements concerning the government's judicial reform plan, the behavior of far-right members of the government, and the government's plans concerning Gaza.
Earlier in 2023, Biden urged Netanyahu to "walk away" from the judicial reform plan in light of the massive protests that swept Israel concerning the plan, with Netanyahu responding that he would not make decisions based on "pressures from abroad."
Additionally, while the Biden administration is pushing for a framework that would eventually lead to the creation of a Palestinian state, Netanyahu has rejected any plan to establish a Palestinian state in statements in recent weeks.
In January, NBC reported that the Biden administration was meeting with members of the Knesset opposition and representatives of civil society as they expect a future government to not be led by Netanyahu.