2020 Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke defended his criticisms of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while campaigning in Iowa on Sunday, arguing that the U.S.-Israel relationship must "transcend partisanship" and "transcend a prime minister who is racist" in order to preserve the alliance.
Why it matters: O'Rourke's comments come just two days before Israel's high-stakes elections on April. Netanyahu has closely aligned himself with President Trump and has made a series of tactical gambits — like vowing to annex parts of the West Bank if re-elected — to help shore up support among right-wing voters.
The comments also come amid a verbal campaign by Trump to paint the Democrats as anti-Israel, following a controversy in which Rep. Ilhan Omar was accused of repeatedly using anti-Semitic tropes.
