McCain defends Netanyahu's racial campaign ploy: Politicians can't be 'held to everything' they say

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) on Sunday lashed out President Barack Obama for what he said was a "temper tantrum" after Israeli Prime Minister used a racial ploy to get out his voters, and then seemingly revoked his support for a Palestinian state.

Over the weekend, the president told the Huffington Post that Netanyahu had not followed "the best of Israel's traditions" when he warned that Arab Israeli voters were coming out "in droves."

"Although Israel was founded based on the historic Jewish homeland and the need to have a Jewish homeland, Israeli democracy has been premised on everybody in the country being treated equally and fairly," the president said.

On Sunday, McCain insisted to CNN that the "president should get over it."

"Get over your temper tantrum," the former Republican presidential nominee quipped. "The least of your problems is what Bibi Netanyahu said during an election campaign."

"If every politician were held to everything they say during a campaign, obviously that would be a topic of long discussion," he continued. "This is one of the most Orwellian situations I have ever observed."

McCain agreed that the president "maybe shouldn't like it" when Netanyahu revoked his support for a two state solution.

"It pales in significance to the situation which continues to erode through out the Middle East," he insisted. "And it puts America at risk. Bibi's rhetoric concerning an election campaign pales in comparison as to the threat, the direct threat to the United States of America of ISIS."

And with regard to Netanyahu's warning that too many Arab Israeli citizens were voting, McCain dismissed the outrage because he said that "politicians make statements."

"Israel is our most reliable ally. It is the only place you will see a campaign where statements are made by one side or the other," McCain remarked. "You have to put it in perspective of this credible threat to the entire Middle East with ISIS on the march, with the Iranians on the march, with thousands of people being slaughtered."

Watch the video below from CNN's State of the Union, broadcast March 22, 2015.