Israeli leader criticized for response to Charlottesville

Jerusalem: Israel's prime minister is coming under growing criticism for his relative silence over President Donald Trump's response to the racially charged violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Benjamin Netanyahu's muted response to the march staged by anti-Semitic white nationalists and Trump's assertion that "both sides" were responsible for the violence, appears to reflect the Israeli leader's desire to remain in the good graces of the embattled US president.

Though Netanyahu is ordinarily quick to rail against anti-Semitism around the world, he waited three days to react to the violence in Charlottesville. He released a relatively tepid condemnation of racism, but made no mention of Trump or Charlottesville.

Israeli critics today called on Netanyahu to take a stronger stance, even at the risk of antagonising Trump.