‘One of the oldest hatreds’: Netanyahu sees new source of antisemitism

Both Fuentes and Ye, better known as Kanye West, have made a litany of antisemitic statements. Other figures, including basketball star Kyrie Irving, have also recently promoted antisemitism.

“There are many, many blessings of the internet age, but it comes also with a curse. And the curse is polarization,” Netanyahu said. “In the case of antisemitism, it’s the melding, the fusion of the antisemitism from the extreme radical left with the extreme radical right.”

Netanyahu, who leads a politically conservative coalition that is set to return to power, called Trump’s dinner “unacceptable,” even as he expressed support for Trump’s policy decisions as president. Leaders are constantly “balancing interests with values,” he said.

“I hope he sees his way to staying out of it and condemning it,” Netanyahu said of Trump.

Asked whether he’d support Trump as president, Netanyahu said he’d “deal with anyone who’s elected president.” The prime minister-designate, who is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, has a distinct connection to American political culture, having attended high school in Cheltenham, Pa., and college at MIT.