Benjamin Netanyahu Recorded Saying “America Is A Thing You Can Move Very Easily”

Netanyahu Comments On United States Influence In 2001 Recording

In mid-2001, Benjamin Netanyahu was recorded speaking with a group of Israeli settlers in the West Bank settlement of Ofra during the early stages of the Second Intifada. In the recording, which was later released in 2010, Netanyahu said in Hebrew: “I know what America is. America is a thing you can move very easily, move it in the right direction. They won’t get in our way.” The comment was made in the context of discussing U.S. involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and interpreting the Oslo Accords. The remarks were captured without his awareness of the camera and circulated widely after they were published by media outlets including The Washington Post and Al Jazeera.

The video surfaced years after it was recorded and drew attention because it showed Netanyahu’s private remarks about the relationship between Israeli leadership and U.S. policy. At the time of the recording, Netanyahu was not holding national office, having previously served briefly as prime minister in the 1990s, and was speaking with constituents about political strategy and negotiations. The recording also included his comments on how he interpreted provisions of the Oslo Accords regarding security zones in the West Bank.