Clinton’s Defense Secretary Says Netanyahu Doesn’t Trust Biden Not to ‘Undermine or Sabotage’ Israel’s Iran Response

William Cohen, who ran the Pentagon under President Bill Clinton, said Saturday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not have “confidence” in President Joe Biden not to “sabotage” his country’s military response to Iran after this week’s missile strikes.

Cohen told Fox News that while he personally felt that Netanyahu had every reason to trust Biden, the Israeli leader might ultimately choose to keep his cards close to his vest.

While discussing Iran’s launch of nearly 200 rockets at Israel earlier this week on Cavuto Live, Cohen was asked by host Neil Cavuto about the reported “friction” between the White House and Netanyahu as it related to a “response.”

Cavuto asked, “I’m just wondering, whatever plans Israel has in response to Iran, you get the idea that they won’t be bouncing them off of us? I could be wrong, but what do you make of that?”

Cohen said the lack of trust between the two allies was  a “problem.” The former defense secretary said:

To the extent that the Israelis consider the United States their best ally and at times perhaps their only ally going forward, I think they have to take care that they keep this relationship in repair. And that means confiding with the United States, confiding with our military, with our joint chiefs of staff so that we don’t get caught by surprise because we have members of our military in the region by the thousands. And they are subject to attack. So we’d like to know in advance if we have to take extra precautionary measures, where the attack’s going to be launched what is the likelihood of response from Iran or elsewhere.

We have an obligation to protect our forces as well. To the extent that we’re allies, we need to share that. I think because the prime minister, Netanyahu, does not have any confidence with President Biden, he’s not eager to share the information for fear we might disclose it in advance and undermine or sabotage the event. I think that is wrong thinking on his part, but there is such a strain in the relationship that I think it complicates it. And that’s why this public rift really is, works to the disadvantage of the United States but also to Israel.

Watch above via Fox News.