Democratic presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “racist” while speaking about the US-Israel relationship at a campaign event in Iowa on Sunday.

O’Rourke, a former congressman from Texas, added in his remarks in Iowa City that he does not believe Netanyahu “represents the true will of the Israeli people.”

“The US-Israel relationship is one of the most important relationships that we have on the planet, and that relationship, if it is successful, must transcend partisanship in the United States, and it must be able to transcend a prime minister who is racist, as he warns against Arabs coming to the polls,” O’Rourke said.

O’Rourke made the comment to reporters after his rally, where one of the attendees asked him about conflict between Israel and Arab nations.

He went on to endorse a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians, saying it’s the best option for a lasting peace in the region.

“We must be able to transcend his current leadership to make sure that that alliance is strong, that we continue to push for and settle for nothing less than a two-state solution, because that is the best opportunity for peace for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine,” O’Rourke said, according to a CNN report on his statement.

O’Rourke’s statement comes two days before an election for prime minister in Israel. Netanyahu, who is seeking re-election, has vowed to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank if he is re-elected.

Netanyahu has also allied himself closely with President Trump and conservative politicians in his country.