Netanyahu cautions ministers to expect limitations from Trump

Feb. 12 (UPI) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cautioned his ministers Sunday not to expect U.S. President Donald Trump to allow Israel to act without limitations.

Netanyahu responded during the meeting of Likud ministers to earlier comments from Education Minister Naftali Bennett calling on the prime minister to state during his scheduled meeting with Trump in Washington Wednesday that the two-state solution is no longer Israel's goal.

"Even after eight years of complex navigation in the tenure of [former U.S. President Barack] Obama, we still need to continue to act wisely with the Trump administration. While it is a more comfortable administration [to work with], there will still be restrictions," the Jerusalem Post quoted Netanyahu as saying during the meeting.

"I have known Trump for years but we are meeting in our official capacities for the first time," Haaretz quoted him as telling the ministers.

Netanyahu addressed the issue of a disagreements between hie Likud party and Bennett's Habayit Hayehudi party over how the meeting with Trump should be handled.

YNetNews reported Justice Minister Ayeled Shaked, a Habayit Hayehudi member, said prior to Netanyahu's Sunday meeting: "The Republican Party has removed the establishment of a Palestinian state from its platform, so there is no reason a right wing Israeli government should push it to the left. I call on the prime minister to renounce the idea of a Palestinian state and offer an alternative."

Netanyahu told the meeting that arguments between Likud and Habayit Hayehudi "can take place, but they shouldn't be public. There isn't a substantial disagreement, and it only does harm."

Several ministers slammed Bennett and Shaked's comments during the Sunday meeting.

"No one can teach the prime minister how to manage the state," Culture Minister Miri Regev said.

Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis said Likud leaders "shouldn't pay attention to every tweet [by Bennett]. It only empowers them."

Netanyahu said further discussion of his upcoming meeting with Trump would take place at a security cabinet meeting Sunday afternoon.