NBC’s Chuck Todd grilled incoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on where he stands over Donald Trump’s refusal to condemn the anti-Semites he just hosted for dinner.

Todd interviewed Netanyahu on Sunday for Meet The Press, where the conversation largely gravitated anti-Jewish hatred around the world. This led discussion Trump hosting Kanye West and Nick Fuentes at Mar-a-Lago, and the former president hasn’t condemned either of them in the midst of their public and bizarre descents into blatant anti-Semitism.

Netanyahu has said it was “wrong” for Trump to host West and Fuentes for dinner, but that was before the two went on Infowars to praise Adolf Hitler and bash Netanyahu in an all-out Nazifest. Todd pointed out that Netanyahu has a “unique relationship” with Trump, so he pointed out that the former president “has consistently flirted with some really fringe characters that spout this anti-Semitic behavior, that preach white supremacy and white nationalism, things like that. And he doesn’t denounce it.”

“Why does he have this difficulty do you think?” Todd asked.

Netanyahu deflected from the question in order to shower Trump with praise for his pro-Israel policies as president. He eventually managed to get back on topic to say that “on this matter, on Kanye West and that other unacceptable guest, I think it’s not merely unacceptable it’s just wrong. And I hope he sees his way to staying out of it and condemning it.”

Todd called Netanyahu out for praising Trump first and foremost, and he followed up by asking “if his behavior is creating death threats to Jews…Doesn’t that wipe away anything good he did for Israel?”

“If it’s systemic and continues, and I doubt that it will because I think he probably understands that it crosses a line,” Netanyahu said. He then attributed the rise of anti-Semitism to the internet while diffusing more of the blame away from Trump’s elevation of anti-Semitic figures.

“You’ve been more critical of some Congressional Democrats who are critical of the Israeli government than you are of a Donald Trump who’s been elevating people who praise Hitler,” said Todd. “Does that go to this sort of transactional nature if it’s, you know, ‘But they’re helping Israel. And if they’re helping Israel, that’s what got to come first?'”

Netanyahu’s answer:

Sorry, Chuck, I just nullified that argument on this very program and on previous programs when I came out very strongly against that meeting with those anti-Semitic rantings, which in the case of at least one of the participants seemed to be something that is, how shall I say this, related to personalities probably more than views.

But they’re bad enough either way. You don’t exculpate them. Whoever says it for whatever reason is wrong. You don’t praise Hitler. You don’t praise — how can you praise Hitler? Hitler was the greatest mass killer of all time. So anybody who praises him is wrong. Anybody who meets with him and gives legitimacy is wrong. And I’ve said it as much, and I’ll continue to say it.

Watch above via NBC.

The post Chuck Todd Presses Netanyahu: Why Does Trump Have ‘Difficulty’ Condemning Neo-Nazis? first appeared on Mediaite.

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