NEW YORK (VINnews) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Thursday that she loves both the United States and Israel but strongly opposes the policies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“I love Israel, and I hate Netanyahu’s government and his policies. I love America, and I hate Trump’s government and policies,” Clinton said during an appearance on MS NOW’s “Morning Joe.”

Clinton also criticized Netanyahu over a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz alleging that United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, known as MBZ, warned the Israeli prime minister before the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack that the terror group was preparing a major operation.

The allegation became a central part of Clinton’s criticism of Netanyahu. She said Netanyahu either did not believe the warning or may have wanted to see what Hamas was planning before responding forcefully.

“I don’t know what his thinking was,” Clinton said, calling the alleged failure to act a failure of leadership and of protecting Israelis.

The Haaretz report has been strongly rejected by Netanyahu. His office said no such warning was given and that there was no phone call between Netanyahu and the UAE president during the period in question.

Netanyahu has gone further, instructing his lawyers to file a defamation lawsuit against Haaretz and reporter Shlomi Eldar. He has described the report as a malicious or absolute fabrication and said reviews of official records found no evidence of the alleged conversation.

Haaretz has stood by its reporting. The Times of Israel also reported that an Emirati source familiar with the alleged conversation confirmed the newspaper’s account, while the UAE government has declined to confirm or deny whether the call took place.

Clinton said the controversy should factor into how the United States approaches Israel, arguing that Washington should take a tougher position if Israeli voters return Netanyahu and his government to power.

“If the Israelis want to vote for that again, then I think the United States has to take a very tough position,” she said.

Clinton also called for a tougher response to violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. She said she would hope a future Israeli prime minister would take action against those responsible and prevent such violence from becoming entrenched in Israeli society.

She said the United States could work with a new Israeli government and pursue a different approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Let’s see what they vote for,” Clinton said, adding that Washington could seek a “new approach with a new government.”

The White House, meanwhile, defended the U.S.-Israel relationship, saying Trump maintains a strong relationship with Netanyahu and describing Israel as a longtime American ally.

Clinton also discussed the Democratic Party and the growth of socialist ideas within the party. She said Democrats should defend the positions they have adopted and argued that doing so would be beneficial to both the party and the country.