Americans for Peace Now (APN) is appalled at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's expression of support for President Trump's immigration policies. APN calls on Netanyahu to stay out of America's heated debate on immigration, and to take into consideration the impact that statements on issues like this have on Israel's relations with broad, key segments of the American public and with the vast majority of American Jews.

Donald Trump's recent immigration measures are domestically divisive, apparently illegal and are likely to have severe repercussions internationally. While they don't directly impact US-Israeli relations and Israeli security, Netanyahu's embrace of these measures does.

As Netanyahu attempts to forge close relations with the newly elected US president, he must remember that Trump's policies – as demonstrated by his first week in office – are extremely controversial, as is his character. As Israel's leader, Netanyahu must take into account all aspects of the US-Israel relationship, Israel's chief national security asset on the international arena. He should avoid alienating broad segments of the American public and the vast majority of American Jews and American Jewish institutions, which view many of Trump's policies, including his policy on immigration, as a violation of the Jewish values and the American values that American Jews hold dearly, and as a violation of their very identity as Americans and as Jews.