- Israeli PM Netanyahu cited his popularity in India to counter claims of Israel's isolation
- Netanyahu described his recent visit to India as a "love fest" with strong public support
- He accused Pakistan of using social media bots to spread anti-Israel sentiment in the US
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently pointed to his popularity in India to argue that Tel Aviv was not isolated globally during its ongoing conflicts with Iran and Palestine. He called his visit to India with his wife, Sara, a "love fest" and said Indians have "enormous respect" for Israel.
Speaking to CBS during an interview, Netanyahu also slammed Pakistan for using social media "bot farms" to promote anti-Israel sentiment in US public opinion.
He stressed that Israel was not isolated diplomatically and there were several places where Israel enjoyed strong public support.
"There are places where Israel is still respected. India has 1.4 billion people, and Israel is very popular there. PM Modi was greeted with great affection here. And I went to India with my wife, and it was a love fest," he said during CBS News' 60 Minutes programme.
Netanyahu last visited India in 2018 for a five-day trip. It was a reciprocal visit after Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian PM to visit the Jewish state the previous year.
The Israeli PM's remarks come at a time when Israel's and Netanyahu's popularity have seen a sharp decline across the world over its bombardment that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians since 2023 and continued violence in Lebanon, the West Bank and Jerusalem. According to a recent Pew Research Centre survey, 60 per cent of US adults have an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 53 per cent last year.
The survey also found that 59 per cent of Americans have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs, while in both major political parties in the US-- Republicans and Democrats-- majorities of adults under the age of 50 now rate Israel and Netanyahu negatively.
The Israeli PM blamed Pakistan for the declining reputation. He alleged that Pakistan-based social media bot farms are playing a role in the growing anti-Israel sentiment in US public opinion.
"Countries that want to weaken the American-Israeli alliance are manipulating social media with bot farms," he claimed
"They post like, 'I'm a red-blooded Texan who supported Israel, but now I can't stand them.' Then you check, and it's a guy sitting in a BASEMENT in Pakistan," the leader added.
In the past, the same Pakistani propaganda networks have long targeted India by spreading fake news, anti-India hate, and coordinated misinformation campaigns.
