Romney - Netanyahu friend, Trump foe - visits, unclear if he'll meet PM

Netanyahu and Romney have a relationship that has been described as “warm,” dating back to 1976, when they both worked at the Boston Consulting Group.

By HERB KEINON
US Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivers foreign policy remarks in Jerusalem (photo credit: REUTERS)
US Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivers foreign policy remarks in Jerusalem
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a sharp Republican critic of US President Donald Trump, is currently in Israel, but the Prime Minister’s Office would not say on Tuesday whether he will be meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu and Romney have a relationship that has been described as “warm,” dating back to 1976, when they both worked at the Boston Consulting Group. Netanyahu was widely accused of blatantly backing Romney in his unsuccessful 2012 presidential run against Barack Obama.
However, Romney and Trump – whom Netanyahu has said is the best supporter of Israel to have ever sat in the White House – have a toxic relationship, with Trump on Saturday posting a tweet that mocked Romney’s loss to Obama.
“If @MittRomney spent the same energy fighting Barack Obama as he does fighting Donald Trump, he could have won the race (maybe)!” Trump tweeted.
This was in response to Romney’s response to the redacted report issued by special counsel Robert Mueller dealing with Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections.
Romney issued a statement on Friday saying he was “sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the president.”
Romney came out against Trump in the 2016 election, and the two men have traded sharp public barbs ever since. The Utah senator has emerged among Trump’s sharpest Republican critics in the Senate.
Romney was spotted on Tuesday at the King David Hotel, and is one of three senators currently in the country. The other two are Democrats Ron Wyden from Oregon and Chris Murphy of Connecticut.
Interestingly, none of the three senators have posted anything about their trip here on their social media platforms, or their official web pages. The US Embassy did not provide any information about their visits, and the Prime Minister’s Office did not reply to inquiries about whether Netanyahu would be meeting with them.
Netanyahu ordinarily meets with all visiting US senators, congressional representatives and governors.