The decades-old statement has gained fresh traction as diplomatic friction builds once again between Washington and Jerusalem over Middle East policy.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: A circulating social media post has thrust an older quote by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back into the spotlight. The post attributes a statement to the Israeli leader claiming, “America is a thing you can manipulate very easily.” In light of current geopolitical strains between the United States and Israel, the resurfaced remark has sparked intense scrutiny and required a verification check.
Claim: Benjamin Netanyahu once stated that ‘America can be manipulated easily’
According to the viral posts, the Israeli official remarked, “I know what America is. America is a thing you can manipulate very easily; move it in the right direction. They won’t get in our way.”
The assertion has rapidly circulated across various online platforms, accumulating hundreds of thousands of collective views.
While many internet users seized the opportunity to criticize Netanyahu for the sentiment, others questioned its authenticity, prompting a closer look at the facts.
Fact Check: True, the remarks were made by Benjamin Netanyahu in 2010
Evidence confirms that Netanyahu did indeed make these statements in July 2010, preserved via video footage from the period—a time when he was out of formal political office following the second intifada.
Within the same recorded footage, Netanyahu also openly criticized the 1993 Oslo Accords, the landmark peace framework established between Israel and Palestine.
He noted in the video, “I’m going to interpret the accords in such a way that would allow me to put an end to this galloping forward to the ’67 borders.”
He continued, “How do we do it? Nobody said what defined military zones were. Defined military zones are security zones; as far as I’m concerned, the entire Jordan Valley is a defined military zone.”
Additionally, Netanyahu took aim at former US President Bill Clinton—who played a central role in mediating the accords—labeling him as ‘radically pro-Palestinian.’
Benjamin Netanyahu pushes back against Donald Trump’s Gaza framework
The reappearance of these older comments coincides with escalating friction between Washington and Jerusalem over ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts.
Most recently, Netanyahu formally pushed back against essential components of a Gaza postwar roadmap introduced by President Donald Trump, specifically resisting any mandated Israeli military withdrawal from current operational zones.
“President Trump and his team think they can bring Hamas to disarm and demilitarize Gaza. They sent us a draft; we did not agree to it,” Netanyahu stated.
He added, “It’s not our draft. We sent our comments. By the way, we sent our comments before we received a media campaign on the matter. This is our position. And we are standing firm on our interests, I think, with both wisdom and with firmness.”